Professional Standards
OVERVIEW:
The Office of Professional Standards consists of the Accreditation Unit, the Media Relations Unit, and the Internal Affairs Unit. This bureau is also responsible for the acquisition and management of grant funding.
ACCREDITATION UNIT:
The Accreditation Unit is responsible for maintaining the agency's accreditation through the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, which was first awarded in 2007. The Sheriff's Office became reaccredited in 2010 following a broad inspection by a team of external assessors to insure that the agency was in compliance with required standards. The Sheriff's Office must undergo such inspections every three years to maintain the accredited status. Accreditation requires agencies to have clear policies in place that govern various topics such as training, vehicle pursuits, evidence handling, fiscal activities, equipment requirements, among others. Through accreditation, the Sheriff's Office maintains a higher level of professionalism, thus increasing the public's confidence in the law enforcement services the agency renders.
MEDIA RELATIONS UNIT:
The Media Relations Unit receives and processes numerous requests for public records each day. Two public spokespersons in the unit also issue news releases concerning the agency's significant activities and investigations in an effort to keep the public informed.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT:
The Internal Affairs Unit is responsible for investigating allegations of officer misconduct. Florida State Statutes sets forth very specific guidelines by which such investigations must be conducted and it is through the expertise of this unit that the rights of officers under investigations are protected, while conducting fair and impartial investigations in order to prove or disprove such allegations.
GRANTS MANAGEMENT:
The grants management coordinator applies for grant funding and tracks purchases once the monies are awarded. Grants are consistently sought out and applied for in order to supplement the Sheriff's budget and save taxpayer dollars.
ADA COMPLAINT COORDINATOR:
Master Deputy Todd Rowley is designated to coordinate our efforts to comply with 28 CFR Part 35, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities. Master Deputy Rowley is the internal affairs investigator and coordinator of the agency’s grievance procedure; therefore he is equipped to assist any employee who wishes to file a complaint or a grievance alleging the agency’s noncompliance with this part.
Contact Information:
Lieutenant John Herrell 352-343-9592
Sergeant Jim Vachon 352-343-9534
Master Deputy Todd Rowley 352-343-9878
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