The Groton Police Department has achieved Accreditation status from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.

   On February 15, 2023, Chief Luth, Deputy Chief Bielecki, Officer Candow and Select Board Chair John Reilly, attended the Accreditation Ceremony in Marlborough..

   Achieving Accreditation means that the Groton Police Department has met or exceeded the best practices for a Law Enforcement Agency in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These standards are established by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) which provides the framework for standards in the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program. 

   To achieve accreditation, the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission assesses the department on 257 mandatory standards, and is a rigorous departmental review. Some of the topical areas covered are: 

• Agency Authority, Jurisdiction and 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 Holding Facilities

•  Records and Communications

•  Collection and Preservation of Evidence

•  Property and Evidence Control

   Achieving accreditation demonstrates the Groton Police Department’s  commitment to delivering an exemplary level of police service to the Town of Groton. It was a lot of work and was a department-wide effort. Chief Luth would like to especially thank Officer Candow, our Accreditation Manager, for his tireless work on this process over the last few years, first Achieving Certification in September 2021, and now Achieving Accreditation one year later.