The University of Massachusetts Police Department and the Amherst Police Department have both received state accreditation for 2011, according to releases from UMass’ Office of News and Media Relations and APD Lieutenant Ronald Young.

UMPD received its accreditation at a Jan. 13 ceremony in Hopkinton, Mass., west of Boston, according to Chief Johnny C. Whitehead. The Department received the recognition from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC), which gives such standing to “departments that meet and maintain professional public safety standards,” according to the Thursday release.

According to Whitehead, the accredited status has only been granted to 33 of the more than 300 police departments in the Commonwealth.

“Achieving accreditation 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 the Commission’s executive director, Donna Taylor Mooers, in the Jan. 20 statement.

The release explains that the accreditation process is voluntary in nature, and that to achieve such recognition, participating departments must work to meet and uphold standards established “for the profession and by the profession.” Areas in which participating departments must strive for excellence include policy development,

emergency response planning, training, communications, use of force, vehicular pursuit and the care and treatment of prisoners, according to the release.

Earlier this month, the UMPD was assessed by a team of “commission-appointed assessors,” who found UMass’ police force to be compliant with all standards required for accreditation. The Commission is composed of representatives of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Coalition of Accreditation Managers of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Police Association. It offers two different program awards: certification and accreditation. Accreditation is the more prestigious award.

UMPD’s accreditation will run for three years.

“Our mission is to provide a safe environment in which to live, learn and grow,” said Whitehead in the release. “Accreditation says a lot about the quality of the people who work for the department and the quality of service we provide the campus community.”

Several other Massachusetts colleges and universities have accredited police departments, including Tufts, Northeastern and Mount Holyoke, according to the release.

The Amherst Police Department was also evaluated by the Commission, and also met the standards required for accreditation. According to Young’s release, APD was reviewed early last June by the MPAC, which examined department “policies, procedures, operations, staffing, equipment and facility maintenance” to prove APD’s upholding of the Commission’s standards.
According to the APD statement, the Department passed all 252 standards and “exceeded the required optional standards by 20 percent.”

The Amherst Police have three times previously been accredited by the MPAC. In 2001, the Department became the second in the state to receive such a status, and it successfully passed again in 2004 and 2007.

In the Thursday release, Young praised the APD’s professionalism, stating he believes the reaccreditation illustrates the Department’s high standards and level of commitment.

“Being recognized as an accredited agency requires commitment and continued professionalism from all members of the Amherst Police Department and further confirms a dedication on their part to provide the highest degree of public service to this community,” he said.

Sam Butterfield can be reached at [email protected].