The Marion Police Department is close to earning its first accreditation as officers prepare for a March 30 evaluation.

“Achieving accreditation is a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence,” Police Chief Lincoln Miller said.

A team of assessors from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission will examine department policies, procedures, operations and facilities.

The commission is a private, nonprofit organization. Applying for accreditation is a voluntary process for departments seeking to enforce best practices in law enforcement. The title is good for three years.

“An accreditation really tests a department,” Miller said.

Since being hired as police chief 15 years ago, Miller said he’s wanted the department to participate in the process.

Back then, the police station was not equipped to meet several requirements. In 2010, the department moved into a new $3.8 million facility on Route 6 that housed additional offices, more holding cells, an expanded emergency command center and other amenities.

“It would have been a much more difficult process to undertake in the old station,” Miller said.

Last year, the department earned certification status from the commission.

That was a step towards accreditation.

“It’s comparable to earning an associate's degree while working towards a bachelor's degree,” Miller said.

Before the review, officers evaluated policy and procedures to ensure that commission standards were met.

The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program consists of 257 mandatory standards as well as 125 optional standards. To become accredited, Marion must meet all mandatory standards and 55 percent of the optional standards.

Should the department achieve its goal, Miller said the work wouldn’t end.

“The process doesn’t stop if we get accredited. We will consistently evaluate our performance, policies and procedures,” Miller said. “We don’t write a policy to put it on a shelf and forget about it.”

He said policies would be reviewed to stay current with court decisions and other changes in law enforcement practices.

Following the visit, the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission will decide whether or not to accredit the department in July.