TEWKSBURY – Police Chief Ryan Columbus is proud to report that the Tewksbury Police Department earned accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC) for the first time.
MPAC officially notified Tewksbury Police on Wednesday, Feb. 7 about the accreditation, the gold standard in police accountability in Massachusetts.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for the Tewksbury Police Department, and I am proud of everyone in the department who contributed,” said Chief Columbus. “We now intend to maintain accreditation and the high standards it requires us to meet. This accomplishment will go a long way to ensuring the continued professionalism and competency of law enforcement, and reinforcing the trust we have with our community.”
Accreditation is a self-initiated, lengthy, and comprehensive evaluation. Participating departments complete an internal self-review and an external assessment by MPAC experts. Police departments strive to meet and maintain the top standards of law enforcement, and compare themselves against the established best practices around the country and region.
MPAC assessed Tewksbury Police on 128 mandatory standards and 120 optional standards. The department met all mandatory standards and 74 optional standards. Deputy Chief Alysia Columbus helped to oversee the effort over the course of three years.
These carefully selected standards reflect critical areas of police management, operations and technical support activities. They cover areas such as Jurisdiction and Mutual Aid, Collection and Preservation of Evidence, Communications, Working Conditions, Crime Analysis, Community Involvement, Financial Management, Internal Affairs, Juvenile Operations, Patrol Administration, Public Information, Records, Training, Traffic, Drug Enforcement and Victim/Witness Assistance
