The West Tisbury police department has met critical standards in the area of police management, operations, and technical support, according to a press release from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission. The department was granted state certification on Jan. 19 by the commission.
To become certified, the department voluntarily went through a self-evaluation process, and was assessed in September by a team of commission-appointed professionals. Police Chief Daniel Rossi appointed Lieut. Matthew Mincone as the department’s accreditation manager, to conduct the self-assessment and prepare for the site review. The 159 standards the commission evaluated included officer and public safety, high liability/risk management issues, and operational efficiency throughout the agency, according to the press release.
Massachusetts is one of 24 states that offer an accreditation process for police departments.
Lieut. Mincone told The Times that Oak Bluffs has the certification, and that West Tisbury is the second Island town to get it. He said all the towns on the Vineyard are in the process of being certified. He described the certification as a way to ensure that departments are meeting standards to give the best service they can in a community.
“It’s a pretty prestigious thing to get,” he said. “It doesn’t change the way we do things, it just makes sure we are doing things the most effective way.”