Law Enforcement Public Invited to Comment Session for Sheriff's Office Accreditation

Sheriff Brad Steube

BRADENTON – The Manatee Sheriff's office is currently seeking the coveted CALEA accreditation, a highly-prized recognition of public safety professional excellence. As part of the accreditation process' on-site assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session July 31 at 7:00 p.m. The session will be held in the Manatee County Sheriff’s Operation Center Classroom located at 600 301 Blvd. W. Suite 202, Bradenton.

Verification by the team that the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation. A CALEA assessment team will arrive July 29 to examine all aspects of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office policy and procedures, management, operations and support services.

If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, they may do so by telephone at 941.747.3011 (extension 2009) on July 31, between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA Standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Sheriff’s Office.

Once the CALEA Assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted the three year accredited status. MSO has been accredited since 1990.