Accreditation Earns Sheriff's Office Award Of Excellence

Date Added: March 28, 2012 11:55 am

Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

After a rigorous review of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office’s policies, procedures and operations, an independent law enforcement accreditation commission didn’t just give its seal of approval.

It gave its seal of excellence.

The Sheriff’s Office has been accredited by CALEA, or the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., since 1991. To be accredited by CALEA, agencies must undergo an intensive evaluation by a team of independent assessors to ensure adherence to internationally-accepted law enforcement best practices. To maintain accredited status, agencies must be re-evaluated every three years. The last two times, in 2006 and 2009, the Sheriff’s Office not only passed its reviews, but was designated a top, or “Flagship” agency by CALEA for excelling in its observance of the highest of professional law enforcement practices. Up for review again, the Sheriff’s Office this past week was officially re-accredited for another three years and once again earned CALEA’s top designation -- now called the Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation with Excellence Award. The award is reserved for agencies that set the benchmark for professionalism in the public safety field.

“Your agency has clearly demonstrated a commitment to professionalism and CALEA Accreditation has undoubtedly become an institutionalized management model for the organization,” CALEA wrote in a March 24 letter to Sheriff Ben Johnson announcing the honor. “…CALEA is proud of your agency’s accomplishment and commends you for your leadership. Again, congratulations on this most prestigious award.”

This marks the 7th time that the Sheriff’s Office has been accredited by CALEA. Sheriff Johnson said he was proud that CALEA continues to hold the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office in such high regard. “Our employees dedicate themselves every day to providing exceptional public service,” said Sheriff Johnson. “I know first-hand how hard they work and what a great job they do. But it’s also rewarding to have that commitment to professionalism and excellence recognized and validated by an independent review.”

The evaluation included an on-site review in December by a panel of law enforcement professionals that spent several days conducting interviews and examining Sheriff’s Office policies, programs and facilities. The panel compiled a 29-page report detailing its findings, concluding: “Sheriff Ben Johnson and the members of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office embody the concept and spirit of CALEA and have taken into their organizational core a genuine desire for excellence. They are obviously committed to the process of accreditation and in providing a high level of professional law enforcement services to the community they serve.