The Methuen Police Department last week won accreditation by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.
The award was presented at last Wednesday’s commission meeting in Marlborough. The department was initially certified last October.
“This achievement recognizes the significant progress our police department has made within the last several years,” Methuen Mayor Neil Perry said. “The leadership of Chief McNamara and the accreditation leaders, Capt. Eric Ferreira and Sgt. Matthew Mueskes, were pivotal to this achievement. Our community can take great pride in being one of 118 accredited departments in the Commonwealth.”
Police Chief Scott J. McNamara thanked both the sworn and civilian members of the department, saying, “It’s a testament to their work ethic and commitment to a common goal that we were able to achieve full accreditation along the timeline that we did.”
The Methuen Police Department was in a self-assessment phase for years before formally working toward initial certification in 2021 and 2022. After becoming certified, the department completed the additional 98 mandatory and 97 optional standards to be assessed for full accreditation last Dec. 13 and 14. The department was required to meet 75 optional standards based on agency size. Accreditation awards are valid for three years and require a reassessment by Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission to achieve reaccreditation.
The Methuen Police Department joins 117 other MPAC accredited police agencies in Massachusetts. That comprises about 30% of the police agencies in the state.
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