By Rod Hansen
Staff Writer

Wrapping up a process that began in April, Goffstown police recently announced their accreditation from the Commission for the Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

The event marks the fifth time Goffstown has received this recognition. The department was the first agency to be accredited in New Hampshire in 1992, and has since been accredited in 1997, 2000 and 2003.

Goffstown is one of eight accredited agencies in the state.

To pass the accreditation, the department had to meet 446 standards of the accreditation commission. Those standards cover subjects including organization, traffic operations, prisoner and court-related activities and technical services.

Sgt. Susan LeBel served as accreditation manager, said Police Chief Michael French during a ceremony on Aug. 28.

During the three-year accreditation process, LeBel said her responsibilities included reviewing officer reports to ensure officers complied with the standards, and to maintain a file of these reports.

“A lot of work and organization goes into it, and the whole department supports it,” LeBel said. “It’s a great effort from everyone.

Former Police Chief Stephen Monier, now a U.S. Marshal, first asked to participate in the accreditation program in 1987. When he finally won over town officials to the process, he said he had no problem appointing his first accreditation manager.

“Right away, I knew I’d make Lt. Michael French the accreditation manager, because I knew he was the right person for the job,” Monier said of the man who now heads the agency.