On June 4th, members of the Amherst Police Department attended the June Commission meeting of the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission at the Connors Center in Dover, MA. While at this meeting, the Amherst Police was presented with their 2019 Accreditation Certificate Award. The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program offers an accreditation process for police agencies across the Commonwealth. The program involves a thorough examination of the agency by the agency to determine compliance with program standards. That internal review or self-assessment that is initiated by the agency’s CEO is then followed by an external, peer review by Commission-appointed assessors. Assessors are typically Police Chiefs and Accreditation Managers who have been specially trained to conduct on-site assessments on behalf of the Commission. The goal is for the agency to operate with the highest standards that are considered best practices for policing.
Being accredited means that the agency is committed to meeting professional standards. The agency is willing to be assessed on a regularly scheduled basis by Commission-appointed assessors to confirm compliance with professional standards; and the agency agrees to correct any deficiencies discovered during the assessment process to establish or re-establish agency compliance with standards. The Amherst Police Department attained Accreditation status in 2001 and has maintained it ever since. The external assessment occurs every three years. This is the sixth award for the Amherst Police Department.