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Published on: 9/28/2008
Last Visited: 9/28/2008
"We're very pleased and proud," Frederick County Sheriff Robert T. Williamson said this week.
State accreditation, as determined by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission, is the best measure of an agency's compliance with professional law enforcement standards.
"They've set standards for us to meet," Williamson said."It's a system of checks and balances."
For the Sheriff's Office, earning accreditation status is also reassurance that the department's staff members are not only providing the best possible public service to the community, but also performing their jobs in an acceptable manner, he said.
The department could also be eligible to receive additional funding with its new status.
"We're proud to be giving the taxpayers the best bang for their buck," Williamson said.
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Williamson said he learned July 17 that the agency had accomplished its goal.The official certificate of accreditation was presented at Wednesday night's county Board of Supervisors meeting.
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"[Beeman] was like a father waiting on a new baby in the waiting room of a hospital," Williamson said about the anticipation of the application process.
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"We had to provide documentation, which took some time," Williamson said.