Wareham Police have been making strides toward improving the department at every level, and they have no intention of slowing down any time soon.

A committee that came up with a three-year strategic plan for the department was formed about a year ago, and was comprised of a cross-section of the department, Chief Richard Stanley told the Selectmen on Tuesday.

"We worked diligently as a team," said Stanley. "We looked at what we needed to do to build on the cornerstone of [Massachusetts] accreditation."

The plan outlines both the values of the department as well as the mission, which is to respect and protect the rights of citizens, reduce fear of crime, and improve quality of life in Wareham, among others.

"It's a collaborative effort of every rank in the Police Department," said Lt. Kevin Walsh. "It came from within, and I think everyone who worked on it is very proud of it."

Stanley noted that since his tenure as chief began in 2009, the department has made improvements in a number of areas. "Quality of life calls" have decreased, as have internal affairs complaints, he said.

Stanley said that when he first came to Wareham, "everywhere I went I saw blue lights...What was happening was the Wareham Police Department was a reactive agency," he explained. "We are now a proactive Police Department."

Being proactive means increased patrols in known trouble spots, and encouraging residents to call police if they see something suspicious in their neighborhoods.

"One of the toughest things to do is stay outside your department and look at it with a critical eye," said Town Administrator Derek Sullivan, who also praised the department for being "professional and efficient."

Noting that Wareham is faced with a tight budget, Selectman Peter Teitelbaum noted: "The difficult nut, of course, for you, Chief Stanley, is going to be implementing the rest of your plan with limited resources."

Going forward the goals of the plan include implementing a national incident reporting system, which would link Wareham Police with a national database to increase access to crime data, and maintaining accreditation.

Other goals include improving collaboration with town officials, enhancing the health and well-being of Wareham Police personnel, and coming up with a strategy for developing new talent for the force.

"We've made a lot of progress, but we're not just going to lay back on the progress we've made," said Stanley. "This is all about relentless follow-up."