Volusia County, FL – The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) has awarded the Volusia County Sheriff’ Office (VCSO) reaccreditation due to high scores earned during its most recent review.
Since 1991, the VCSO has been accredited by the CALEA. In 2017, the VCSO was found to be in 97 percent compliance with “other than mandatory standards.” This has also been the 9th on-site review of the Sheriff’s Office since 1991. The CALEA requires an agency to be in at least 80% compliance with their standards in order to qualify for accreditation.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, John Kittredge, a South Carolina Supreme Court Justice and CALEA’s Commissioner, congratulated the VCSO on their business model and philosophy. The reviews said that a change of power to another administration can potentially bring hardships to an agency, but “fortunately this potential was not realized during this transition.”
“I’m beyond proud of this great agency and all it’s accomplished for the citizens of Volusia County,” said Sheriff Mike Chitwood. “We’re just getting started, and we’re looking forward to an even brighter future for our agency and our entire county.”
The VCSO also received high scores in the areas of professionalism, activity on social media, engagement with the community, juvenile programs, training, de-escalation, and crime-fighting philosophy. The agency's hiring and recruiting processes to suit its needs and vacancies were also commended.
“Now that the transition concludes into a period of stability under new leadership, the agency may now seek to improve these systems as the agency prepares for the future,” said William T. Dean Jr., Deputy Chief of the Virginia Beach Police Department and CALEA Team Leader. “A future that will likely continue to utilize the standards set forth by the Commission to perpetuate the Sheriff’s already demonstrated commitment to advancing the philosophy of community policing and inclusion to solving community issues regarding quality of life in Volusia County.”
Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.
