TUPD certified by state police commission

Last Friday, the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) became the 14th police force in the state to receive certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.

The Commission, established in 1996 by the Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety, is responsible for setting standards for the police profession throughout the state. The 151 standards promote officer and public safety, address risk management issues, and encourage operational efficiency throughout the department.

"It is a very prestigious accomplishment," said Donna Taylor Mooers, executive director of the Commission. "Certification symbolizes the department's desire and commitment to meet standards that have been established not only for the profession but by the profession."

TUPD began a focused effort to meet these standards last April. Public Safety Director John King developed an accreditation team, composed of captains, sergeants, and, in some cases, police officers, to help review the department's policies.

"With our existing policies, we were in pretty good shape," said Ronald Brevard, administrative captain of the Tufts police and manager of the accreditation team. "We didn't have to do as much work as other [police] departments."

Certification, however, was still a long and tedious undertaking. "It's a pretty intense process," King said. "It's very labor intensive."

Once the Tufts police presented their attempts to meet certification standards, three assessors from the Commission reviewed them over a period of two days. These assessors interviewed TUPD members and evaluated the department's policies and procedures. The final decision to grant certification was voted on at the Commission's monthly meeting last Friday.

The Commission certified three additional departments after approving the TUPD, creating a total of 17 certified police departments throughout Massachusetts. Mount Holyoke is the only university department in the state that was certified before Tufts.

King feels that this certification is extremely important for Tufts. "It helps students, faculty and staff feel safe on campus," he said. "But also, it makes a statement to parents and prospective students. It is the kind of thing people will look toward to rate the safety at a university."

Mooers agreed that certification is beneficial for the image of the department. "The certification process provides a norm for an agency to judge its performance," she said. "It provides a basis to correct deficiencies before they become public problems."

Tufts' certification will last for three years, during which the department will be required to maintain the 151 standards. King hopes that within a year, the department will achieve accreditation, the highest honor granted by the Commission. To become accredited, departments must comply with 60 additional standards.

"We're on the track," King said. "We're focused and I just want to keep the accreditation team and managers active in order to achieve this milestone within the next 12 months."

Both King and Brevard believe that the certification and accreditation process is important for any police department to attempt. "It's a very prestigious thing," said Brevard. "I think it's beneficial to the Tufts community."