[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14105]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              COMMENDING THE PASCO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

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                         HON. MICHAEL BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2004

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Pasco County 
Sheriff's Office earning national commendations for its efforts to 
control crime, make the community safer, and improve the lives of Pasco 
County residents, many of whom live in my congressional district.
  The office, led by Sheriff Bob White, recently became one of the 
first law enforcement agencies in the country to receive accreditation 
from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies 
(CALEA), an honor which only about one of every four law enforcement 
agencies ever earn.
  The Sheriff's Office received this accreditation after an exhaustive 
review of its policies and procedures. The Office began preparing for 
its assessment in early 2003 by reviewing its readiness for such a 
formal and comprehensive review. The men and women in its employ 
scrutinized hundreds of policies and procedures and revised and rewrote 
those which needed altering to comply with CALEA standards.
  The formal assessment for CALEA accreditation then began last summer. 
CALEA assessors descended on the Sheriff's office to conduct an 
inspection which lasted four days. They reviewed files, toured the 
agency, inspected personnel, tested equipment, listened to 
presentations, and rode-along on patrols. They then recommended the 
Office, which met or exceeded nearly all of CALEA's standards, receive 
full accreditation late last year. The Sheriff's Office must continue 
to comply with these standards and will undergo the same scrutiny every 
three years to maintain its accreditation.
  The CALEA accreditation means that the Pasco County Sheriff's Office 
has met accepted law enforcement standards in preventing and 
controlling crime, increased agency effectiveness and efficiency in the 
delivery of law enforcement services, improved coordination with other 
law enforcement agencies, and bolstered employee and community 
confidence in its goals, objectives, policies, and practices.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Pasco County Sheriff's Office is one 
of the most dedicated and professional law enforcement agencies in the 
state of Florida and around the country. I am both proud and thankful 
that Sheriff Bob White and his charges are on the job protecting me and 
my constituents and representing the law enforcement community so ably 
and honorably. I hope that our colleagues are as fortunate as my 
constituents are to have such dedicated men and women protecting them.

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