Canton Police Department reaccredited by MPAC

Officials from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission joined Canton police leaders in the re-accreditation and certification ceremony on June 5. (Above, l-r) Deputy Police Chief Helena Rafferty, Police Chief Ken Berkowitz, Lt. Patty Sherrill and Lt. Tom Keleher Jr. (Photo courtesy of MPAC)

For the second time in three years, the Canton Police Department has received a formal stamp of approval from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC).

The distinguished re-accreditation award certifies that the department is following all proper procedures as well as meeting proper standards for equipment and facilities. The re-accreditation process, which is voluntary, involves a thorough examination of the department by MPAC officials to determine compliance with program standards in all operations.

Heading the re-accreditation process for the CPD was Lt. Patty Sherrill, who also led the initial accreditation effort in 2014-15. She began the re-certification process in April 2017 and completed the effort while also managing her regular duties.

The MPAC examined all equipment, facilities and procedures of the department including firearms, holding cells, evidence room, log-in procedures, and patrol and detective procedures.

“It is a very challenging and daunting process,” said Sherrill, who worked with almost every member of the department to cull and organize records.

She said the reaccreditation minimizes the town’s exposure to liability and reinforces public confidence in the department.

Police Chief Ken Berkowitz is very proud of his department and the work completed by Lt. Sherrill.

“Accreditation is an important process that we as a department are committed to,” he said. “It allows a department to have a third party of independent outside accreditors look at your total organization. They review your past practices, policies, procedures, and your entire operation to see if they meet a number of different high standards that are set by a statewide board.

“This past round we went through re-accreditation, which is even more stringent since they review all of your policies and procedures. I want to publicly acknowledge the strong effort by our accreditation manager, Lt. Patty Sherrill, who is the driving force behind this project. I especially want to thank the members of our department, who not only perform at such a high level but embrace the challenge. I also want to express my gratitude to the Board of Selectpersons and Town Administrator Charlie Aspinwall for their support throughout this process.”

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