Lt. Bruce Winegarden, Director of Professional Standards (the division in
charge of all things accreditation) holds up the State and National Accreditation stickers which will soon be affixed to new Sheriff’s Office patrol cars being assigned to various Sheriff’s Office Sectors. Sheriff Rick Roth proudly shows off the National Accrediation certificate received when the agency was reaccredited this summer. |
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was awarded reaccredited status by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) at their Boston Conference July 30, 2005.
The Sheriff’s Office belongs to an elite group of public safety agencies in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Barbados that have received this prestigious, international award. The Commission is an independent, nonprofit organization, founded by the four law enforcement membership associations: the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriff’s Association and the Police Executive Research Forum. The Commission is comprised of Chiefs, Sheriffs, elected officials and community leaders appointed by the four founding organizations. CALEA maintains a body of professional, law enforcement standards and administers a voluntary process for participation.
The agency must meet all applicable standards according to its size and function, The standards address all areas of administration, operation, and technical support activities. Following a thorough self-assessment, the agency receives a vigorous on-site assessment by a team of assessors, trained by CALEA. The assessors carefully review policies, observe procedures, interview personnel, and seek public input from the community. The team’s final report forms the basis for a post-assessment hearing before the Commission. The three-year award requires an agency’s commitment to maintain compliance with standards and offers an opportunity for reaccredidation of their compliance into the future. “Accreditation Recognizes Professional Excellence.” |
