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| The Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) recognized the Collier County Sheriff's Office with its highest honor, Excelsior Status, on Sept. 25 in Sarasota. Pictured from left: Accreditation Assistant Kathleen Young, Captain Mark Baker, Lt. Richard Gibbons, Corrections Chief Chris Roberts, CFA Chairwoman Julie Jones, Sgt. Nicole Minick, Accreditation Specialist Katarzyna Edgemon, and CFA Executive Director Lori Mizell. |
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded Excelsior Status by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA).
Excelsior Status is the CFA’s highest form of recognition for continued excellence in the field of law enforcement accreditation. To achieve Excelsior status, a Florida agency must have achieved initial accredited status and then achieved five successful re-accreditation assessments without conditions. Assessments are conducted at three-year intervals, therefore the Excelsior process takes approximately 15 years for an agency to acquire.
Only 27 law enforcement agencies in Florida have achieved Excelsior status. A total of 137 Florida law enforcement agencies are accredited through CFA, which is a voluntary process.
“Maintaining law enforcement accreditation and achieving Excelsior Status ensures that the citizens of Collier County are receiving the highest quality of public safety services possible,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said.
“Maintaining law enforcement accreditation and achieving Excelsior Status ensures that the citizens of Collier County are receiving the highest quality of public safety services possible,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said.
The agency underwent a thorough onsite review in July when a three-member assessment team, led by Lt. Jeff Owens of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, ensured compliance with 84 Florida law enforcement standards. Of the 84 standards, CCSO was found to be in compliance with all mandatory and applicable non-mandatory standards.
“Collier County has shown the state of Florida what it means to be accredited,” Lt. Owens said during the onsite review.
The assessors commended CCSO members for their knowledge and enthusiasm. They also commended several agency programs, including an ongoing anti-texting and driving public awareness campaign and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, which teaches deputies and criminal justice professionals how to react appropriately to emergency situations involving mental illness. The assessors said they planned to take information regarding these programs back to their own agencies.
CCSO was reaccredited Sept. 25, in Sarasota. The agency received initial accreditation from the CFA 1998, and has been reaccredited every three years since then.
Undergoing the voluntary state accreditation process provides an agency with a quality assurance review and encourages intense self-scrutiny, resulting in more efficient and effective daily operations.
Becoming accredited by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation is considered a significant accomplishment and this status is held in high esteem by the criminal justice community.
CCSO has been nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) since 1994 and currently holds CALEA’s highest honor: Accreditation with Excellence.
The Collier County Sheriff's Office Jail Division is also accredited by the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission (FCAC) and has been since 2000.
