SJSO Accreditation

On July 27, 1991, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office became the first law enforcement agency in Northeast Florida to receive accredited status. We became the "First on the First Coast". The accreditation was with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). Being accredited means the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office meets the National Standards of Law Enforcement and demonstrates the commitment of the agency to professionalism.

Being accredited also shows, through their dedication and professionalism, the men and women of the Sheriff's Office are above the standard for what is acceptable nationwide in law enforcement. Accreditation enhances a community's understanding of the Law Enforcement Agency's role--as well as its goals and objectives, and it even commits the agency to a broad range of programs that directly benefit the public. At this time CALEA requires each accredited agency to go through a reaccreditation every 3 years. We were originally accredited July 27, 1991. We were re-accredited on July 27, 1996 in California; November 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia; December 12, 2001 in Jacksonville, Florida; March 25, 2006 in Jacksonville, Florida; and July 26, 2008 in Boca Raton, Florida, and July 29, 2011 in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2008 the SJSO received from CALEA, a Meritorious Award for remaining accredited for 15 years or longer. In 2011, the SJSO received the title of Accreditation with Excellence. This award is for CALEA Accredited public safety agencies that have demonstrated success in the accreditation process and is based primarily on their past awards, current assessment and overall professional standing in the public safety community. This award designation is effective for the duration of the current award period. The next CALEA assessment will be held in 2014.

Click here for the CALEA website.

The SJSO was granted State Accredited status through the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc. (CFA) on October 17, 1996. Our agency complied with the state accepted standards for excellence in the delivery of law enforcement and was granted state accredited status. CFA status is also for a period of three years with a reaccreditation process of mock on-site and official on-site review of agency policy compliance to state standards. The SJSO was reaccredited by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc., in February 2000, Punta Gorda, FL, February 2003, Boca Raton, FL and February 2006, Panama City, FL; and June 11, 2008, Coral Springs, FL, and June 30, 2011 in Bonita Springs, Fl. In 2011, the SJSO received the Excelsior Award. The SJSO was the third agency to receive this prestigious award. This award recognizes agencies with long term and successful reviews of their policies and procedures and is limited to agencies that have earned five continuous unconditional assessments. The next CFA assessment will be held in 2014.

The Florida Police Accreditation Coalition, Inc. (FLA-PAC) is a not-for-profit corporation formed in 1989, under the laws of the State of Florida, for the purpose of providing member agencies a network of law enforcement professionals encouraging communication, mutual cooperation, support and the sharing of resources among each other.

Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission (FCAC). St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division received initial accreditation on June 22, 2004 in St. Pete Beach, then Reaccredited June 5, 2007 in Hutchinson Island and June 29 ,2010 in Bonita Springs. Our next FCAC reaccreditation will be held in 2013.

Back to top