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Accreditation

On February 25, 2009, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Division of Law Enforcement completed the process to attain accreditation and received recognition for this achievement in a ceremony in Tampa. The division voluntarily pursued this coveted status.

By becoming an accredited agency, the FWC's Division of Law Enforcement becomes the largest natural resource law enforcement agency in the nation to achieve this level of distinction, and joins an elite group of fish and wildlife enforcement agencies that have successfully completed the accreditation-assessment process.

Florida law enforcement accreditation is certified by an independent reviewing authority, the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA). A law enforcement agency must meet or exceed more than 250 prescribed standards. An assessment team conducted on-site inspections of the division's policies, procedures, practices and equipment to determine compliance.

"This tells the public that we have been evaluated by law enforcement subject-matter experts who certified our compliance with best management practices," said Col. Julie Jones, director of the division. "Though we receive validation of our professionalism every day from citizens whom our officers have helped, this extra validation makes it official."

In 1993, Florida Statute 943.125 directed that the Florida Sheriffs' Association and the Florida Police Chiefs' Association create a voluntary law enforcement accreditation program.

"In an agency where the officers multitask in so many environments, and conduct themselves so professionally, it may come as a surprise to many that the FWC's Division of Law Enforcement was not accredited," said Rodney Barreto, chairman of the FWC. "We have always been proud of our law enforcement division, and now that the division is accredited it has again exceeded our expectations."

Receiving the endorsement demonstrates a commitment to professional excellence and increases the division's ability to fulfill its mission of protecting natural resources and people through more effective and efficient delivery of law enforcement services to the community it serves. Because the division is scrutinized by an outside entity, accreditation requires transparency and accountability. To maintain accredited status, the division will continue to critically assess how its mission is being carried out and will be re-assessed by the CFA every three years.

"Achieving accredited status confirms the professional nature of our division and its reputation as a progressive law enforcement agency," Jones said. "It validates we are among the very best."

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is the certification by an independent reviewing authority that an entity has met specific requirements and prescribed standards.  Schools, universities and hospitals are some of the most well known organizations that are required to maintain accreditation.  Law enforcement agencies in Florida can now attain accredited status through the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc., which is under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Benefits of Accreditation

Accreditation increases the law enforcement agency's ability to prevent and control crime through effective and efficient delivery of law enforcement services to the community it serves.

Accreditation streamlines operations, providing more consistency, accountability and more effective deployment of agency manpower.

Accreditation requires that agency policies and procedures are in written form and are available to all personnel at all times.

Accreditation assures employees that every aspect of the agency's personnel system is in accord with professional standards, and that the system is both fair and equitable.

Accreditation policies address officer safety issues and provides for increased training and improved equipment for FWC officers.

Accreditation symbolizes professionalism, excellence and competence.  Employees will take pride in representing FWC Law Enforcement, knowing that the agency is a top-tier law enforcement entity.

Accreditation Process

Step 1: Request Application

Step 2: Execution of accreditation agreement, signed by the Division Director

Step 3: Conduct self-assessment of agency

Step 4: Commission conducts an on-site assessment of applying agency

During the self-assessment phase, the agency has 24 months in which it will review its policies, procedures and operations to ensure compliance with the Commission's 252 standards.  The standards are divided into 39 chapters consisting of several hundred specific criteria that all law enforcement agencies must comply with in order to achieve accredited status.  Each standard specifies an area which should be addressed in the agency's policies and procedures.  These standards were developed specifically for Florida law enforcement agencies and approved by professionals from the criminal justice community. 

The agency must also develop and compile proofs of compliance, which consists of building an individual file for each compliance standard.  The agency must comply with 100% of the applicable mandatory standards and with at least 80% of the applicable non-mandatory standards.  Proof of compliance with the standards is determined by an assessment team sent by the Commission to conduct an on-site review of the agency's policies, procedures and practices.  Once compliance is achieved, accreditation status is awarded for a period of three years.

Once compliance is achieved, accredited status is awarded for a period of three years.  After that, another on-site assessment is conducted whereby each is standard examined and "proofs of compliance" reviewed to confirm the agency has been stringently following applicable standards.  This process repeats itself continually every three years and ensures FWC's commitment to excellence continues.

For more information

Visit the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) at: www.flaccreditation.org.

You may also contact the Division of Law Enforcement Accreditation Manager, Captain Dean Kelly: 850-558-4080, 75 College Drive, Suite 102, Havana, Florida 32333.

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