News  State Police Earn Renewed Accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission

FRAMINGHAM — The Massachusetts State Police today announced that the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC) has renewed its accreditation for a second, three-year term. The decision to renew the accreditation reflects the Department’s commitment to provide exceptional statewide police service

First awarded in 2023, this accreditation renewal required the State Police to measure itself against national and regional law enforcement best practices and participate in an independent review by experts in the wider law enforcement community across Massachusetts.

“Earning a renewed accreditation is a reflection of the Massachusetts State Police’s commitment to professionalism, accountability and service,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Colonel Noble and the entire Department continue to do important work to strengthen operations and build trust with the people they serve, and I’m grateful for their dedication to keeping our communities safe.”

“State and Local Law Enforcement will always have our full support as they carry out their important work in an evolving environment,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This recognition highlights the Department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen accountability and deepen its connection with communities across Massachusetts.”

The MPAC Accreditation Program consists of 274 mandatory standards and 120 optional standards, which the applicant Department must meet 75 percent of. Standards include a variety of topics, including Agency Authority; Use of Force; Recruitment, Selection, and Promotion of Personnel; Training, Discipline and Internal Affairs; Patrol, Traffic Operations and Criminal Investigations; Victim/Witness Assistance; Emergency Response Planning; Prisoner Transportation and Custody; Records and Communications; and Collection and Preservation of Evidence.

“This re-accreditation recognizes the important work the State Police have done over the past three years to improve operations, strengthen accountability, and build stronger relationships with the communities they serve,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina Kwon. “It reflects a Department committed to high standards and ongoing improvement, from its daily responsibilities to the broader changes launched through the Excellence Initiative last year.”

“The Massachusetts State Police pursued this renewed accreditation because we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standard of excellence,” said the Superintendent of the State Police, Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble. “This process thoroughly reviewed our approach to public safety and validates the amazing work of the dedicated women and men of our Department. As we continue to increase alignment with national best practices, we recognize that more must be done to strengthen public trust. We will not rest until our training, operations, investigations, forensics, and administrative processes exceed the public’s expectation of that important work.”

In addition to the standards themselves, MPAC reviewed information about the Department’s significant achievements, including the creation of:

• The Excellence Initiative, a comprehensive strategy to enhance operational effectiveness, expand community engagement, and reinforce its core mission of public safety
• The Hate Crimes Awareness and Response Team (HART), a new unit dedicated to enhancing federal, state and local partnerships and liaising with community leaders to strengthen statewide response to hate crimes and hate-based incidents
• A non-sworn executive position focused enhancing the Department’s statewide community engagement efforts
• The newly established Office of Organizational Excellence to enhance member health and wellness while monitoring, critiquing, and elevating the quality of Department investigative and operational performance
• A new promotional process designed to designed to evaluate members’ relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities, align the Department with national best practices, as well as increase leadership opportunities within the supervisory ranks for previously underrepresented individuals, including women and minorities
• A series of special enforcement operations around street takeovers and other public safety concerns facing local communities

The Department also made strategic investments in the time since its first accreditation to improve operational effectiveness. It implemented ACISS as the primary record keeping platform for law enforcement and investigative activity, and Star Chase, a technology to reduce dangerous pursuits, new duty weapons, functional uniforms adapted for women and seasonal needs of members. It also invested resources in several urgent capital improvements, including the Commonwealth Fusion Center relocation to General Headquarters, the development of a new State Police Crime Lab in Marlborough, and the creation of new female locker room facilities at several Barracks.  

The Department gratefully acknowledges State Police Accreditation Manager William Pinkes, Retired Troop C Major James Bigelow, and the MPAC accreditation team for their work throughout this intensive process.

Separately, the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab (MSPCL) also maintains accreditation from the ANSI National Accreditation Board, the largest forensic accreditation body in North America. After a rigorous evaluation in two accreditation cycles, the ANSI has recognized the MSPCL for exemplifying best practices in international testing, calibration standards and forensic-specific standards.