The Plant City Police Department was acknowledged during the Monday, April 24, City Commission meeting for receiving its fourth accreditation in a row from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation.
The honor marks the 12th consecutive year the department has been recognized for meeting the 218 requirements — ranging from evidence storage to enforcement operations — necessary for accreditation by the independent review board.
The accreditation also means that the department is poised to receive Excelsior Recognition, the highest level of achievement in Florida accreditation a criminal justice agency can receive, upon its next review.
“This is a very proud moment for us,” Plant City Police Chief Ed Duncan said. “It puts us in a different light all across the nation. This is the same accreditation process you see with colleges, hospitals and those type of industries. So, this is a benchmark of standards across our industry which we all strive to achieve.”
Every three years, the accreditation is reviewed for renewal. Maintaining the high standards set by the state board is a daunting task, Duncan said. Inspectors look at vehicles, weapons, training and communication records, conduct random interviews with personnel to assess preparedness and more.
The on-site review is conducted by three inspectors, who change each time the department is reviewed. New inspectors mean that there are no established relationships or connections to fall back on. Accreditation, Duncan said, is based on a “posture of preparedness.”
For a law enforcement agency to achieve and retain accreditation, he said, training and dedication to excellence can go a long way.
“For a city the size of Plant City — 37,000 or so — we really do have a very dedicated and talented and well-trained police department, I think,” City Manager Mike Herr said. “Clearly second to none.”
The department was first accredited in 2005 under the guidance of the former police chief and current Assistant City Manager Bill McDaniel. McDaniel’s efforts started the city on what Vice-Mayor Bill Dodson called a, “12-year period of excellence.”
If the department is reaccredited upon the next review, which will take place in 2020, it will receive the Excelsior Recognition, an award given to agencies with five successful reaccreditation cycles.
Of the approximately 387 law enforcement agencies in Florida, fewer than 50 have received the Excelsior Recognition to date.
Mayor Rick Lott said he has “all the confidence in the world” that between now and 2020, the department will be able to maintain its current level of excellence to be accredited again.
Contact Daniel Figueroa IV at dfigueroa@plantcityobserver.com