Pillar two emphasizes that if police are to carry out their responsibilities according to established policies, those policies must reflect community values. Law enforcement agencies should collaborate with community members, develop policies and strategies for deploying resources that aim to reduce crime by improving relationships, increasing community engagement, and fostering cooperation.
Examples of the ways the police department demonstrates best practices in policy and oversight:
- Professional conduct is not only an expectation; a policy that supports these values that define courtesy, balances civil rights, and mandates impartial policing is in place. These core values are reinforced through hiring, a strong department culture, training, and oversight
- The department’s use-of-force policy recognizes the sanctity of life, provides for the least amount of force reasonably necessary to accomplish the intended objective without impairing the safety of others, adheres to our community’s expectations, and follows Massachusetts state statutes and federal laws. The policy is reinforced through numerous training methods.
- The department has a proven critical incident policy that leverages outside agencies to provide independence, protect public safety, foster trust in and accountability for law enforcement, and address the needs of personnel who have been exposed to threatening circumstances and acute stress.
- The Chelmsford Police Department was first Certified in 2010 and Accredited in 2012 under the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission. CPD was subsequently Re-Accredited in 2015, 2018, 2021, and again in 2024. Each Award is good for three (3) years when a new audit will be commenced by the MPAC group of certified assessors.