Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has announced that a team of assessors from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) will arrive June 5 to examine all aspects of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support. PBSO has to comply with some 260 standards to receive its fifth reaccredited status.
The Accreditation Program Manager for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Major Robert Van Reeth, said the assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar agencies. The assessors will review written materials; interview individuals and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed.
The CFA Assessment Team Leader is Tom Lewis from the Punta Gorda Police Department. Other team members include John Oldham from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Mark Buffington from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office was initially accredited by CFA in 2000, and received reaccredited status in 2003, 2006, and 2009.
Once the Commission’s assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full commission, which will then decide if the agency is to receive reaccredited status. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office’s accreditation is for 3 years. Verification by the team that the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office meets the commission’s standards is part of a voluntary process to gain or maintain accreditation – a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.
For more information, write: CFA, P.O. Box 1489, Tallahassee, Florida, 32302, or email to info@flaccreditation.org. Copies of the standards are available from http://www.flaccreditation.org