The Department of Public Safety at Westfield State College has become the third college or university police agency, and the 16th police department, in the state to be certified by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.

Certification is a self-initiated evaluation process by which police departments strive to meet and maintain standards that have been established for the profession by the profession. The program not only sets standards for the law enforcement profession within the Commonwealth, but also for the delivery of policy services to the citizenry.

Under the direction of former Director of Public Safety, Paul Scannell (Retired), the department worked for several years revising and implementing a new policy and procedures manual. The effort to obtain certification was led by Certification Manager Lieutenant Michael Foyle. Office Manager Tia Tyburski, Captain Tony Casciano and many of the police officers assisted in this effort.

Having achieved certification, the department is now working to obtain full accreditation from the Commission by completing an additional 150 professional standards.

The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission is online at www.state.ma.us/mpac/. The International accreditation agency, CALEA, is on line at www.calea.org