Fort Walton Beach Police passes key step in re-accreditation with zero compliance issues
Fort Walton Beach, Florida – The Fort Walton Beach Police Department has finished an important portion of its re-accreditation process. Representatives from the Florida Commission for Law Enforcement Accreditation led an assessment of the department’s facilities.
Three people looked at the department’s rules, methods, and overall operations when they were in Fort Walton Beach: Major Samika Gibson from the Doral Police Department, Kathryn Jones from the Bartow Police Department, and Amelia Hitchcock from the Florida Department of Financial Services. Their visit is part of the regular schedule that agencies must follow to keep their accreditation.
In 2022, the Fort Walton Beach Police Department became the first to get accreditation. Each cycle lasts three years, and agencies must go through a thorough inspection on site before the final evaluation at the commission’s conference. The program’s goal is to make sure that police enforcement agencies in Florida are responsible, follow professional standards, and keep getting better.
Police Chief Robert Bage stressed how important the process is, saying that accreditation has helped both the department and the community in real ways.
“The standards and principles of accreditation have meaningfully enhanced our operations, and we are grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to excellence,” Police Chief Robert Bage said.
During the inspection, assessors found no areas of non-compliance, a point Chief Bage highlighted with pride. “We are also proud to share that no out-of-compliance issues were identified during our onsite inspection. We look forward to the commission meeting in October and achieving our re-accreditation,” he added.
The assessment is another step forward for the department as it tries to stay one of Florida’s certified law enforcement agencies. The city and police executives thanked the assessors for taking time away from their own jobs to do the inspection. They understood that the assessors were helping to keep the accreditation process transparent.
The Florida Commission for Law Enforcement Accreditation will meet later this year for its planned conference to make a final decision on the Fort Walton Beach Police Department’s re-accreditation.
