FDLE awarded distinguished re-accreditation award

Gretl Plessinger reported to Historic City News in St Augustine that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has received its fifth consecutive state re-accreditation and compliance award; acknowledging the highest level of professional standards relating to the agency’s policies, procedures, management operations and support services.

Although the agency is based in Tallahassee, the regional office is located in Jacksonville, and a special investigation group has offices in St Augustine. FDLE also has a presence in joint law enforcement task forces that include St Johns County.

“I’m proud of FDLE and the way service, integrity, respect and quality are embedded in our work culture,” said Commissioner Gerald Bailey. “This re-accreditation, by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, reflects our commitment to delivering professional law enforcement services to the citizens of Florida.”

Undergoing the voluntary state accreditation process provides FDLE with an independent quality assurance review and encourages intense self-scrutiny, resulting in more efficient and effective daily operations.

The St Augustine Police Department and St Johns County Sheriff’s Office will call on investigative resources available to FDLE for certain types of crimes or when it is appropriate to avoid the appearance of conflict.

Recently, the St Augustine Beach City Commission called in the FDLE to investigate high profile allegations against its Chief of Police and the proper operation of the Beach Police Department. The agency was able to complete a thorough, independent assessment of the allegations, at arms-length, unaffected by any local or political pressures.

FDLE was also awarded the Excelsior Agency distinction, which recognizes agencies that have earned at least five unconditional re-accreditation awards.

FDLE was the first state law enforcement agency to be accredited by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation in 1996; through a process that includes rigorous inspections, on-site assessments, employee interviews and extensive reviews of policies, procedures and records.