FCAC Commissioner Shirley Olson, Lt. Blair Waller, Maj. Jon Goetluck, Capt. David Scott, Capt. Debra Kaspar, Sheriff Tom Knight, Maj. Brian Meinberg, Accreditation Managers Amanda Lewis and
Sarah Kenniff, Capt. David Parisi, and Florida Accreditation Executive Director Lori Mizell.
Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight is pleased to announce that the Sarasota County Correctional Facility was re-accredited by the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission (FCAC) at a ceremony Tuesday in Clearwater Beach.
Assessors conducted a three-day onsite visit in August to examine jail policies, management, operations and support services. They found the agency in compliance with all 254 applicable standards and in their recommendation for re-accreditation, commended the agency for a flawless onsite, its eighth in a row. This accomplishment earned the sheriff’s office the commission’s prestigious Excelsior Award for a third time. During the same ceremony, Sheriff Knight was honored for the completion of his six years of service on the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission.
“The accreditation process is a way to hold law enforcement and corrections facilities accountable, and sets out consistent best practices throughout the state,” said Sheriff Knight. “It has been my pleasure to serve alongside other sheriffs and corrections administrators to ensure jail facilities are practicing at the highest level possible.”
In addition to this FCAC jail accreditation, the agency is accredited by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA), and the Emergency Operations Bureau’s Public Safety Communications Section is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement (CALEA) for law enforcement dispatch, and the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED) for medical and fire communications. All three disciplines during their most recent assessments, earned 100% compliance.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office jail was the first in the state to become fully accredited in 1998.