While you and I know the men and women of BSO are a highly skilled and dedicated team, the accreditation from CALEA earns us the official endorsement of a commission that sets nationwide professional standards for law enforcement agencies. Based in Fairfax, Virginia, CALEA was formed 26 years ago to establish stringent standards and to design a process through which local, state and national law enforcement agencies could voluntarily comply.
A team of assessors will be visiting Broward County to examine all facets of the Broward Sheriff's Office policy and procedures, management, operations and support services. The team will visit our headquarters and district offices and will speak to our command staff, along with rank and file deputies and support personnel.
The commission's requirements include a review of every single aspect of our agency operations –general orders, emergency plans, communication with the public, training efforts, how we're organized, and how the people we serve feel about the job we are doing.
The assessors would also like to talk to some of you – members of the general public who are served by the Broward Sheriff's Office. Local residents are invited to offer comments at a public information session at the Ron Cochran Public Safety Building at 2601 West Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. I encourage you to attend. Also, the assessors will have a direct phone line so you can call in any comments you have about BSO – positive or negative. For more information on dates and times, visit the BSO computer website at www.sheriff.org
The Broward Sheriff's Office already holds itself to extremely high standards of professionalism and service to the community. This reaccreditation will help us to continue to strive for excellence and to provide you with the best possible law enforcement. With your help and continuing support, we hope to maintain our accreditation following the assessment process.
If you would like further information about CALEA and its process of awarding accreditation, I encourage you to visit the organization's website at www.calea.org .