Accreditation - Sheriff's Office - Jefferson County, CO

Accreditation

Michael Denuzzi and files The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office meets or exceeds the requirements of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and the American Correctional Association (ACA).

The accreditation concept utilizes a voluntary, self-motivated approach by which organizations seek to achieve, objectively verify, and maintain high quality operations through periodic evaluations conducted by an independent, non-governmental body that has established standards for its "clientele."

To earn and maintain accreditation, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office voluntarily complies with or exceeds nationally recognized standards of operation. Following application for accreditation, a law enforcement agency must undergo self-assessment, on-site assessment, commission review, and must maintain compliance.

aca Since the accreditation process is an accomplishment that cannot be achieved without a total office-wide commitment, every employee of the Sheriff's Office contributes in some way to achieving and maintaining accreditation standards. The public's input toward accreditation standards and compliance is welcome.

There are many benefits to undergoing the accreditation process -- mainly, it provides an independent evaluation of the agency. A re-accreditation process takes place regularly to ensure that the agency maintains compliance with all standards.

Anti-profiling Standard Developed by Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

calealogo One CALEA standard is a provision regarding bias-based profiling. Bias-based profiling is the selection of individuals based solely on a common trait of a group. This includes but is not limited to race, ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, age and cultural group.

CALEA documents state that law enforcement agencies should not condone the use of any bias-based profiling as it may violate the constitutional rights of the citizens we serve, undermine legitimate law enforcement efforts and lead to civil rights violations. Additionally, bias-based profiling alienates citizens, fosters distrust of law enforcement by the community and invites media scrutiny, legislative action, and judicial intervention.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is proud to have developed the standard against bias-based profiling now part of the international CALEA accreditation requirements.

Through this provision, a law enforcement agency:

must have a written directive prohibiting bias-based profiling in traffic contacts, field contacts and in asset seizure and forfeiture efforts
must train agency enforcement personnel in bias-based profiling issues including legal aspects
must enact corrective measures if bias based profiling occurs
must undergo an annual administrative review of agency practices including citizen concerns

Crime Lab Accreditation
In 2008, the crime lab achieved full accreditation through the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLAD). Accreditation through this group demonstrates that the lab's management, personnel, operational and technical procedures, equipment and physical facilities meet established standards. This ensures that our lab team is providing the best possible services to our investigators -- and to the people of Jefferson County.

Jail Health Care Accreditation
The Sheriff's Office jail medical unit is accredited by NCCHC, the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare.

Last Modified: Aug 30, 2012 09:16 AM