Public Comments About USF Police Being Accepted

From the Univeristy of South Florida Police Department:

A team of assessors from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) will arrive Aug. 7, to examine all aspects of the Police Department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Chief Thomas G. Longo announced Wednesday.

USFPD has to comply with approximately 260 standards in order to receive accredited status. Many of the standards are critical to life, health and safety issues.

As part of the on-site assessment, agency members and the general public are invited to offer comments to the assessment team. A copy of the standards is available through Lt. Chris Daniel, Public Information Officer in Tampa at 813-974-3961.

For more information regarding CFA or for persons wishing to offer written comments about the USF Police Department’s ability to meet the standards of accreditation, write to: CFA, P.O. Box 1489, Tallahassee, Florida  32302; or email info@flaccreditation.org.

The accreditation program manager for USFPD is Lt. Charlotte Domingo. She said the assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar agencies. The CFA assessment team leader is Chief Michelle Morris of the Sebastian Police Department. Other team members are Officer Tim Hartley of the Florida State University Police Department and Lt. Chris Salsman of the Punta Gorda Police Department.

The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed. 

Once the commission’s assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full commission, which will then decide if the agency is to receive accredited status. USFPD’s accreditation is for 3 years.

Verification by the team that USFPD meets the commission’s standards is part of a voluntary process to gain or maintain accreditation—a highly-prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence, Longo said.