Foxborough — Chief Michael Grace is pleased to announce that on October 27, 2022, the Foxborough Police Department officially earned full accreditation status from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC).
The Foxborough Police Department earned its certification from MPAC in August 19, 2021 and has been working towards full accreditation since that time.
I am tremendously proud of our department and our Accreditation Team for rising to meet the standards outlined by the MPAC. This award is not an individual award, but rather an award for the department as a whole and is a reflection on how well we operate as an organization and how we deliver police services to the residents and guests of Foxborough.
Accreditation is a self-initiated, lengthy and comprehensive evaluation process. Participating departments complete an internal self-review and an external assessment by MPAC. The process is a voluntary evaluation by which police departments strive to meet and maintain the top standards of law enforcement. It is considered the best measure for a police department to compare itself against the established best practices around the region and the country.
To achieve MPAC Accreditation, the department had to meet and maintain the requirement of 257 mandatory standards and 69 optional standards. The department also had to meet the new requirements of the Commonwealth’s Police Reform Act of 2020 and the POST Commission.
An Assessment Team from MPAC visited the Department on August 10 and 11, reviewing the department’s operations, policies, and procedures in the following areas, including: management, technical support activities, policies, emergency response planning, training, communications, facilities, equipment, evidence handling, use of force, vehicular pursuit policies, prisoner transportation and holding facilities among other topics. The Assessment Team found the department to be in compliance with all applicable standards for accreditation.
Accreditation must be renewed every three years, during which the department will again conduct an internal self-review, review areas for potential growth, consider changes and various improvements and will be visited for an in-person assessment by the MPAC.
The Accreditation Team was led by Deputy Chief Richard Noonan (Accreditation Manager) and supported by Executive Assistant Lee McCarthy, Sgt. Adam Byrnes, and Sgt. Lucas Drayton.
Achieving Accreditation is a highly valued recognition of law enforcement professional excellence. Anyone interested in learning more about this program is invited to contact myself, the departments Accreditation Manager Richard Noonan, or Sgt. Adam Byrnes.