Groton - The Groton City Police Department is seeking Tier 1 Accreditation, a mark of excellence that Police Chief Thomas Davoren says will reinforce the confidence of the community in their policing.

A team of assessors from the Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) will visit the department on March 25 for an on-site assessment of policies and procedures. Davoren said a group composed of law enforcement officials will review written material, visit offices and conduct interviews.

Tier 1 accreditation is the first of a three-part voluntary accreditation process and when achieved certifies the department meets a series of 124 liability standards. The standards include policies on things like use of force, handling of prisoners, juvenile justice and domestic violence.

"In this day and age, with concerns about police behavior, domestic violence enforcement, racial profiling ... you really have to make sure you're not operating in a vacuum," Davoren said. "We're looking to be transparent in our operations. We want the community to be confident their police department meets the national standards of the best practices."

The 27-member department has worked towards accreditation since Davoren, a former state police colonel, took over as chief in 2012, said Groton City Mayor Marian Galbraith.

"It would be a great accomplishment. I think it's really something to show the high standards we have," Galbraith said.

Galbraith said the process of preparing for accreditation was a useful and educational exercise. She said at one point the city had hired a consultant to complete an organizational review.

"It really helps to look at your organization ... to understand what you have. Just going through the process is very healthy," Galbraith said.

Davoren said the department has worked to update and refine policies which are already based on national standards.

In the area of domestic violence, the department is currently working with Safe Futures of New London, the former Women's Center of Southeastern Connecticut, in a lethality assessment program aimed at better assessing the possibility of physical danger for a woman in a domestic violence situation.

After the March 25 assessment, Davoren said POST will report back to the POST Council Accreditation Review Committee, which will recommend or not recommend accreditation. The committee next meets in May.

Accreditation is for a three-year period, after which time the department must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance.

As part of the assessment, police department employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments. Comments can be sent by mail to William E. Tanner, POSTC Accreditation Division, 285 Preston Ave., Meriden, CT 06450. Tanner also may be called at (203) 427-2602, faxed at (203) 238-6643 or emailed at accreditation.compliance@po.state.ct.us. Enter the name of the agency in the subject line of the email.

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