Accreditation
With great pride, Sheriff William O. "Bill" Farmer Jr. is proud to announce that the Sumter County Sheriffs Office is an accredited agency with the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation and, nationally recognized by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The Sumter County Sheriffs Office is the first and only accredited law enforcement agency in Sumter County and the first agency in the state to participate in the national recognition program.
When the Sumter County Sheriffs Office became State Accredited in 2001, it affirmed its strong commitment to the highest standards of professionalism. By attaining re-accreditation in 2005 the Sheriffs Office continues to demonstrate its commitment to provide the best and most effective possible service to the community, neighboring law enforcement agencies, and associated practitioners
Accreditation, though relatively new to the law enforcement field, reflects a growing trend towards improving professional excellence by accepting and complying with strict standards. This concept and practice has been accepted for many years by public and private agencies such as hospitals, universities, and other professional fields.
Benefits of Accreditation include:
- The community is assured that its Sheriffs office is committed to providing services of the highest quality; and that its policies and procedures are effective and responsive on the one hand, and fair and equitable on the other.
- Assurance that Sheriffs Office policies and procedures are in written form and available to all agency personnel.
- Accreditation assures agency employees that every aspect of its personnel system is in accord with national standards.
- Accreditation promotes relationships within the Criminal Justice Continuum by encouraging mutual aid agreements with neighboring law enforcement agencies and better working relationships with the courts, thereby increasing efficiency in handling calls for assistance, referrals, and joint investigations.
- The Sheriffs office has access to a continuing flow of information about exemplary policies, procedures, and projects as distributed by the commission.
- The Sheriffs Office is committed to a broad range of programs of direct benefit to the public, as well as programs to cope with man-made and natural disasters.
- By having well defined policies and procedures, such as those affecting vehicle pursuits and the use of force, accreditation reduces the likelihood of liability suits and thus significantly assists the Sheriffs Office in its risk management.
Standards articulated by accreditation are designed to:
- Increase agency effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of law enforcement services.
- Increase law enforcement capabilities to prevent and control crime.
- Increase cooperation and coordination with other law enforcement agencies.
- Increase citizen and employee confidence in the goals, objectives, policies and practices of the Sheriffs office.
The standards address:
- Organization management and administration
- Personnel administration
- Law enforcement operations such as patrol, investigations, and crime prevention
- Training
- Prisoner and court related services
- Support, auxiliary, and technical services
Sheriff Farmer would like to express his appreciation to the Citizens of Sumter County and all of the employees of the Sheriffs Office for making the Sheriffs Office what it is today.
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