Groton — The Groton City Police Department was awarded accreditation by the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council this week, City Police Chief Thomas Davoren said Friday.

Departments can function without accreditation, but it is considered a form of confirmation that a department is meeting and following accepted standards in the profession.

"In large part it is credibility," Davoren said. "It just means that if you're a large department and someone questions the policy that you have, it meets a national standard. It also ensures greater liability protection for the city."

Groton City Police Department employs 27 officers including the chief, and has 35 total employees. It is authorized for 29 officers, Davoren said.

The department has been working on achieving Tier 1 accreditation, the first of a three-part voluntary accreditation process, for about two years. Much of the process consists of documenting the policies officers follow in certain circumstances. The department also must prove that its officers are properly trained and document the incidents in which a policy applied and what was done. 

For instance, if department policy requires officers who use a Taser on someone to get the person medical treatment, the department can produce the policy and the documents to show treatment was given.

Another example would pertain to domestic violence calls, Davoren said. If the department requires officers to assess risk to someone's life when they respond to a domestic violence call, the department must produce the policy and documents that show victims were asked the questions to assess their risk and were referred for help.

The city police department was recommended for accreditation after an evaluation on March 25. Davoren said it required officers to meet "best practices" of the profession.

"I'm really proud of the men and women that stepped up to the plate and took on the responsibility to follow these practices," Davoren said.

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim