POLICE AGENCIES OBTAINING CERTIFICATION/ACCREDITATION IS ONE OF THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY, AS HOPEDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEGUN THE PROCESS OF CERTIFICATION/ACCREDITATION TO ENSURE WE ARE EMPLOYING THE BEST PRACTICE OPERATIONALLY AND ADMINISTRATIVELY. HOWEVER, OUR AGENCY NEEDS MORE FUNDING AND EQUIPMENT TO RISE TO THE LEVEL OF POLICE CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION. IN 1996, THE TOWN PURCHASED AND REMODELED A MEDICAL OFFICE TO BE A POLICE STATION, WHICH IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO TODAY'S POLICE STANDARDS. IN ADDITION, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF CERTIFICATION/ACCREDITATION, WE NEED BETTER TECHNOLOGY FOR OUR CENTRAL RECORDERS, EVIDENCE ROOM, EQUIPMENT SUCH AS EVIDENCE LOCKERS, GUN LOCKERS, DRUGS, AND HIGH-VALUE ITEM LOCKERS, FOBS FOR SECURITY AND SUICIDE PREVENTION, AND A WORKSTATION FOR THE ACCREDITATION MANAGER, INCLUDING LAPTOP, SCANNER, AND SECURED FILE CABINETS. ADDITIONALLY, OUR AGENCY EMPLOYS 13 OFFICERS, INCLUDING THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND THE LIEUTENANT WHICH LIMITS OUR TIME COMMITTED TO THE CERTIFICATION/ACCREDITATION PROGRAM AS THE ACCREDITATION MANAGER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PATROL FUNCTION AND OTHER DUTIES. BECAUSE THE ACCREDITATION MANAGER HAS A DUAL ROLE, THEY ARE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY CAN COMMIT TO THE PROGRAM. WITH THE ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT AND FUNDS, FUNDS TO SUPPLEMENT OVERTIME, WE WILL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE DEFICIENCIES WITHIN THE EVIDENCE ROOM BY CONDUCTING A FULL AUDIT TO ENSURE THE EVIDENCE IS ADEQUATELY SCANNED AND ENTERED INTO THE COMPUTER AID DISPATCH (CAD) SYSTEM AND ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF CENTRAL RECORDS BY CONVERTING ALL DEPARTMENT DOCUMENTS TO A DIGITAL FORMAT. LAST, BY PROVIDING THE ACCREDITATION MANAGEMENT WITH TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY (HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE), THE AGENCY CAN MAINTAIN AND CONTINUE THE BEST PRACTICES MANDATED BY THE CERTIFICATION/ACCREDITATION PROGRAM FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF OFFICERS.