Among the finest

The Tufts University Police Department became the 14th in the state to receive certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission on October 10.

Just 5 percent of the 350 law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts are certified under the voluntary program.

“Achieving certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission is a very significant accomplishment and is highly regarded by the law enforcement community,” said Donna Taylor Mooers, the commission’s executive director. “It allows departments to demonstrate that they are among the finest in the state.”

Certification is a self-initiated evaluation process through which police departments strive to meet and maintain 151 standards that the profession has established. These standards reflect critical areas of police management, operations and technical support. Tufts received certification for three years.

“Our ultimate goal for the department is to achieve the commission’s highest award, accreditation, and we hope to achieve that in about a year,” said John King, director of public safety.