State Accreditation

In 1993, Florida Statute 943.125 encouraged the Florida Sheriff's Association and the Florida Police Chiefs Association to create independent voluntary law enforcement agency accreditation program.  The accreditation program, modeled after the national accreditation program, which requires compliance with more than 250 professional standards designed specifically for Florida law enforcement agencies.  The program was designed with consideration for the following goals:

    to establish and maintain standards the represent current professional law enforcement practices;

    to increase effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of law enforcement services;

    to establish standards that address and reduce liability for the agency and it's members;

    to establish standards that make an agency and its personnel accountable to the constituency they serve; and

    The Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc. was established by charter December 13, 1994 and incorporated on February 9, 1995.  It is an independent, tax-exempt, not-for-profit corporation designated as the accrediting body for Florida law enforcement accreditation.

The Commission offers two ways for a law enforcement agency to become state accredited.   Agencies may choose to meet a applicable state standards (full compliance) or, if the agency is currently nationally accredited under CALEA, may choose to meet only the standards outlined as additional to the national process (comparative compliance)

Agencies begin the accreditation process with a request for application.  Once the application is completed and submitted to the Commission for review to determine eligibility, an agreement and invoice are sent to the applicant agency.  The formal accreditation process begins when the agency executes this agreement, which specifies the obligations of the agency and the Commission.  The agency has twenty-four months to complete the self-assessment phase from the date the executive director signs the accreditation agreement.

 As of October 4, 2000, the Bartow Police Department now ranks among the 75 police agencies in Florida that are accredited by the state.