SEBASTIAN — A local police department recently announced it was re-accredited and received an award from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA).
The Sebastian Police Department received the prestigious Excelcsior Recognition. This is not part of the standard re-accreditation for the agency, said police Commander John Blackledge.
The word Excelsior is a Latin adjective meaning “higher” or “loftier,” used in English as an interjection with a poetic meaning of “ever upward.” The Excelsior Recognition program recognizes some of the finest criminal justice agencies in the state, and a demonstrated level of commitment to the Florida Accreditation process unparalleled in the criminal justice profession.
To receive the recognition, an agency must meet the requirements of the CFA’s program consistently through each cycle. An accreditation cycle is a 3-year period followed by a major inspection called an assessment, officials said.
The assessment team spends several days reviewing and inspecting all aspects of the agency’s policies and practices to guarantee compliance with the CFA’s standards. Then, the team produces a comprehensive report and presents their findings to the commission panel.
The commission panel consists of five police chiefs and five sheriff’s, a judge, County Commissioner, Florida League of Cities Representative, State Agency Inspector General and State Agency Law Enforcement Chief.
To earn the Excelsior Recognition, the agency must not only meet the 263 standards required to be accredited, but also repeatedly meet those requirements six terms in a row, officials said.
There are two key benchmarks that must be met for an agency to earn an Excelsior Recognition: Commitment to Accreditation and Excellence in Accreditation. As of Wednesday, less than 50 out of more than 350 law enforcement agencies in Florida have earned the recognition.
For more information on the CFA, visit the Florida Accreditation site.
