What: the Worcester Police Department is seeking state accreditation through the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission. Kevin Lovaincy and Chief Paul B. Saucier presented it on 2026-09-08 as a core accountability measure that is replacing a civilian review board in the administration's argument.
Where it stands: in progress; no Council action.
Next: policy rewrite expected done around January or February; Saucier hoped for accreditation within the next year. Cost was not stated in the captions.
What accreditation involves
Meeting 274 standards (the presentation also said 279 once).
Reviewing and rewriting written policies; Saucier said each policy must also be reviewed every year.
An outside assessment and re-accreditation every three years.
Assessors are mostly civilians from the accreditation commission, not police officers, and review evidence for each change.
Progress (Saucier to Luis A. Ojeda)
The department started in March 2025 with roughly 150 policies; 49 have been changed and the rest are being consolidated or rewritten.
Some policies in use dated to when he joined in 1994.
Resident role
Ojeda asked how residents fit in; Saucier said the standards are set statewide and the department cannot add to them, but it runs citizen police academies (he named Randy Feldman as a coming student).
Mayor Joseph M. Petty also mentioned an advisory committee the chief is forming.
An early public speaker asked what accreditation costs and said it would not change what an officer does on the street.
Log
2026-09-29 - City Council — Gary Rosen asked Police Chief Paul B. Saucier about the accreditation process during the traffic and staffing item; Saucier said the department is still actively working on it, must buy equipment and make changes for evidence storage and the cell room, and hopes for full accreditation within the next year or so. Rosen offered Council help.
2026-09-08 - City Council — Presented in the civilian review board discussion; Saucier gave the timeline (started March 2025, 274 standards, 49 of about 150 policies changed, rewrite done by about January or February, accreditation hoped for within a year) in answer to Ojeda.