Braintree Police Department receives state accreditation after six-year effort

Fred Hanson, The Patriot Ledger
·2 min read
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BRAINTREE − The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission has awarded accreditation to the Braintree Police Department, achieving a goal set by police leadership six years ago.

To earn accreditation, the department needed to meet 257 standards set by the commission governing the department's policies and procedures, operations and facilities. It must also meet at least 60% of 125 optional standards.

"The process of achieving and maintaining accreditation has been a road map for our success in policy development and professional standards," Police Chief Mark Dubois said in a statement. "We are very fortunate to be supported by a team of dedicated professionals in the police department that strive for continuous improvement in the delivery of public safety services to our community."

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The department obtained certification from the commission in July 2021, meeting 159 of the 257 accreditation standards. The department's accreditation manager when it earned certification was police Lt. David Del Papa, who is now police chief in Abington. For the past year, Lt. Robert Joseph took over as accreditation manager.

Joseph's work carried the department through an accelerated accreditation process, which culminated in a three-day assessment by a team appointed by the commission in June.

The accreditation is valid for three years, and each standard must be maintained and updated for reaccreditation in 2025. The standards reflect the best practices in police management, administration, operations and support services.

Gaining accreditation has long been a goal of the department, starting in 2016 when former Mayor Joseph Sullivan appointed Paul Shastany as interim police chief.

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Mayor Charles Kokoros commended the department on the accomplishment.

"I'm extremely proud of the hard work and professionalism of our police department to receive this well-deserved distinction," Kokoros said. "It has taken many years of commitment by our police department and I applaud them for this great achievement."

There are 104 accredited police agencies in the state. Another 21 are certified and 131 are in the self-assessment process.

Accredited agencies on the South Shore include Abington, Canton, Holbrook, Plymouth and Weymouth.

Reach Fred Hanson at fhanson@patriotledger.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: State commission accredits Braintree Police Department