Sheriff Gary Hofmann recently accepted the renewal of the Office of the Sheriff accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®).

The renewal award was accompanied by the Commission’s praise for the agency’s going “above and beyond” in showing compliance with the relevant standards that represent the “best professional practices” for law enforcement agencies everywhere.

The Sheriff firmly believes that CALEA compliance strengthens the agency’s accountability, both within the agency and the community, through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities.

The Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff has developed a comprehensive, well thought out, uniform set of written directives. This is one of the most successful methods for reaching administrative and operational goals, while also providing direction to personnel.

Sheriff Hofmann has established standards that provide the necessary reports and analyses he needs to make fact-based, informed management decisions.

CALEA accreditation can limit the Office of the Sheriff potential liability and risk exposure because it demonstrates that internationally recognized standards for law enforcement have been met, as verified by a team of independent outside CALEA-trained assessors.

Sheriff Hofmann thanked all employees of the Office of the Sheriff for their roles in proving compliance with the many standards. “It is only with the cooperation and buy-in of every sworn officer and civilian employee that we are able to achieve and maintain this high level professionalism,” the Sheriff stated with appreciation.