Methuen Police Department Is Now Accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission
METHUEN — Mayor Neil Perry and Chief Scott J. McNamara are honored to announce that the Methuen Police Department was accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC) on Wednesday, June 21.
The award was presented at the June MPAC meeting in Marlborough. The department was initially certified by MPAC in October 2022. 
“This achievement recognizes the significant progress our police department has made within the last several years,” Mayor Perry said. “It is an accomplishment for which the entire department is to be congratulated.
“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.”
“It’s an honor and a privilege to lead such a wonderful group of hard-working men and women, both sworn and civilian,” Chief McNamara said. “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.
“I hope this conveys to our community what we already know: The employees of the Methuen Police Department are here for them, and every day we strive to serve them better.”
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 on Dec. 13 and 14, 2022. The department was required to meet 75 optional standards based on agency size. After assessors completed their review, the report was examined by a representative from MPAC and sent to the commission for a vote to grant initial accreditation. Accreditation awards are valid for three years and require a reassessment by MPAC to achieve reaccreditation.
MPAC accredited agencies adhere to the best practices in policing and formally commit to be reviewed on an ongoing basis. The Methuen Police Department will be required to maintain proof of compliance with the accreditation standards while also making updates based on new policies, laws and regulations.
The Methuen Police Department joins 117 other MPAC accredited police agencies in Massachusetts. That comprises about 30 percent of the police agencies in the state.
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