The Magnolia Police Department has been recognized as one of the top police agencies in the world.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police, or IACP, along with Motorola, annually award the Webber Seavey Award to agencies throughout the world that have innovative law enforcement programs and serve as a model to other agencies. This award recognizes departments worldwide for excellence in police work. Winners of this award are examples of effective law enforcement community programs, according to a news release from MPD.

This year, the IACP has named MPD as one of the top 10 law enforcement agencies worldwide. Chief Domingo Ibarra and at least one other member of MPD will travel to Philadelphia to receive the award at the IACP annual conference Oct. 21.

"To win this award and have it not just be on a state level or national level, but on an international level, speaks volumes about what we are doing at Magnolia Police Department," said James Senegal, executive officer for MPD. "It's a pretty big deal for us."

According to the news release, Chief Ibarra has called this award the most prestigious policing award in the world. MPD was named in the first group of semifinalists. From that group, the IACP selected the top 10 best agencies, of which MPD was one. MPD, according to City Administrator Paul Mendes, is the smallest police department named to the top 10. The IACP will name the top three on Sept. 13. MPD is being considered for this distinction as well.

Regardless of whether MPD makes it in the top three, being recognized in the top 10 agencies in the world is more than members of MPD ever expected.

"To have a 13-man agency, in our case, make the list when competing against some agencies that have 5,000 or 6,000 employees, that's pretty exciting," Senegal said. "It's definitely not something we expected to have happen. We are stunned and excited and just enjoying this moment."

The IACP is the largest and oldest nonprofit membership organization of police executives in the world and has more than 20,000 members in more than 100 countries.