Waltham Police Department Given Eighth Accreditation Award

WALTHAM, MA —The Waltham Police Department was awarded its eighth accreditation on May 20, according to the city Wednesday.

"In the ultimate display of transparency, a team of trained law enforcement assessors appointed by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission visited the Waltham Police Department over the course of three days to painstakingly examine our policies, procedures, and regulations, and make a determination whether we are in compliance with industry standards and best practices," the city said in a release.

Waltham Police Department was among the first police department in the state to volunteer to undergo the process, three years after it was conceived, in 1999 and is reevaluated on a three-year cycle.

The department was the first that year to achieve what the city called a prestigious award and is now the only department to have racked up eight such Accreditation Awards.

"The Community can be proud to know that we remain committed to delivering the highest quality of service and continually strive for organizational excellence," the city said in a release.

Some 228 police agencies participated for fiscal year 2021, according to the association. Of those, 97 were accredited, and 15 given certificates.

The accreditation process consists of 382 standards: 257 are mandatory; 125 are optional.
The Certification Program consists of 159 standards, all of which are mandatory.

Achieving certification or accreditation status means three things, according to its website: That the agency is committed to meeting professional standards, willing to be accessed regularly to confirm that commitment, and the agency agrees to correct any deficiencies discovered during that assessment process.

“Achieving Accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission is a very
significant accomplishment” said Donna Taylor Mooers, the commission’s executive director.
“Going through the process requires intense self-scrutiny, and ultimately provides a quality
assurance review of the agency and serves to reassure the general public that the law
enforcement profession is trained, prepared and ready to handle anything from routine calls for
service to large scale emergencies."

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