MIAMI - On Saturday, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Richard L. Swearingen formally accepted the department’s seventh reaccreditation award from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) at the Annual Fall Conference in Miami.  This marks FDLE’s eighth consecutive national accreditation award in 25 years, placing the agency in an elite category as a recipient of another Meritorious Recognition. CALEA offers Meritorious Recognition to agencies that maintain their accreditation for 15 or more continuous years.
 
Additionally, FDLE received the Accreditation with Excellence Award.  This award was designed to acknowledge the achievement and expertise of some of the most successful CALEA accredited agencies that meet the very specific criteria established by CALEA.  FDLE successfully conducted a Gold Standard Assessment among other criteria to achieve this prestigious award.
 
“Florida’s citizens and criminal justice partners can trust that FDLE remains dedicated to providing the highest level of professional service,” said FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen.  “The accreditation process allows FDLE to stay on the forefront of new trends and best practices for law enforcement professionals.”   
 
CALEA was created in 1979 through the combined efforts of four major law enforcement agencies-the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriffs' Association, and Police Executive Research Forum. The commission was formed to develop a set of law enforcement standards and to establish and administer an accreditation process through which law enforcement agencies could voluntarily demonstrate that they meet professionally-recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.
 
The FDLE complied with 484 standards in order to gain reaccredited status. Since becoming accredited in 1990, the department has undergone rigorous inspections which include on-site visits, employee interviews, and an extensive review of policies, procedures and records. 
 
The agency accreditation is for a period of three years, during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with the standards under which it was initially accredited.
 
For Further Information Contact:
Gretl Plessinger, Molly Best, or Steve Arthur
FDLE Office of Public Information
(850) 410-7001