Marlborough Police Department Earns Certification Status

MARLBOROUGH, MA —Here's another reason to be proud of, and have confidence in, the police department that protects your city every day and night.

On Jan. 18, the Marlborough Police Department received state certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission. Certification is a self-initiated evaluation process by which police departments strive to meet and maintain standards that have been established for the profession, by the profession, said the announcement.

These carefully selected standards reflect critical areas of police management, operations, and technical support activities. They cover areas such as policy development, emergency response planning, training, communications, property and evidence handling, use of force, vehicular pursuit, prisoner transportation and holding facilities. The program not only sets standards for the law enforcement profession, but also for the delivery of police services to the citizens of the commonwealth, according to the release.

"Achieving Certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission is considered a very significant accomplishment and is a recognition that is highly regarded by the law enforcement community," said Donna Taylor Mooers, the commission's executive director, in a statement.

Under the leadership of Chief Mark Leonard, the Marlborough Police Department was assessed in October 2016 by a team of Commission-appointed assessors.

"Going through the process initially requires intense self-scrutiny, and ultimately provides a quality assurance review of the agency," said Mooers in a statement.

To conduct this self-assessment and prepare for the on-site review of the 159 standards by the Commission, in 2015, Chief Leonard appointed Lieutenant Michael Amoros to serve as the Department's Accreditation Manager. The department's job is not done, however; Chief Leonard's ultimate goal for the Department is to achieve the Commission’s highest award: Accreditation.

Certification has been granted for a period of three years. Participation in the program is strictly voluntary.

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