Chief of Police Matthew Moynihan discussed the process of police department accreditation with the Police Advisory Commission at its November meeting, and the challenges the department faces in this endeavor. Block Island’s accreditation process will be difficult, considering there is no policies or procedures manual to start with. “We’re writing the policies as we go. We don’t have policies here,” the chief said. Moynihan knew this coming into the job, he said, having been the interim police chief for a couple of months this past spring, and he knew there was a need for one. “It’s the playbook, the policies, so that everyone knows what to do.”
Calling it “unfair for employees” to work without guidelines, the chief explained that having the policies written out holds everyone accountable, but also provides everyone with the knowledge of what to do “in any situation.”Accreditation is administered through the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission. The Rhode Island Law Enforcement Accreditation Program was formally established through the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association in 2012. The RIPAC accreditation program is a voluntary process by which police departments strive to meet and maintain standards that have been established for the police profession.The goal of
