CLAY COUNTY — The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was awarded national accreditation on March 22 by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in the law enforcement program, according to a department press release.

This is the Sheriff’s Office’s first award of national accreditation.

“This achievement comes after years of work to ensure our policies and practices meet the highest standards possible,” Sheriff Will Akin said.

The accreditation follows a multi-year assessment phase and a meticulous site-based assessment of community engagement, policy, procedures, equipment and facilities by CALEA. Akin and the Sheriff’s Office’s Accreditation Unit attended the CALEA conference in Garden Grove, Calif., last week. They went before CALEA’s 21-member Board of Commissioners, which reviewed their findings to determine agencies’ accreditation status.

CALEA President Marlon Lynch and Executive Director Craig Hartley awarded the Clay County Sheriff’s Office with accreditation, signifying excellence in public safety and commitment to community.

The Sheriff’s Office now moves into CALEA’s four-year accreditation cycle that includes four annual remote, web-based file reviews and a site-based assessment in the fourth year.

“This award of accreditation does not come easy,” Lynch said. “Agencies must go through a rigorous review and evaluation of their organization and then implement the necessary policy and procedure changes. The process does not stop at that point. By voluntarily choosing to seek CALEA accreditation, the agency commits to an ongoing review of adherence to CALEA’s standards. Each community with CALEA accredited agencies should feel confident that their public safety organization is going above and beyond and operating under the highest standards in public safety.”