By Rich Pollack
The Highland Beach Police Department recently reached a major milestone, having achieved a “flawless inspection report” from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation for the second consecutive time.
Highland Beach Police Chief Craig Hartmann said that three inspectors from the commission, which provides accreditation status to police departments throughout the state, found that the department scored perfectly on a detailed set of standards and regulations during the recent inspection.
The chief says accreditation is a coveted recognition of a department’s overall excellence, competence and professionalism.
“The residents and employees of Highland Beach can take pride in knowing that their agency represents the best in law enforcement,” he said.
Hartmann said the inspectors spent three days in town reviewing the department’s policies and procedures and checking to make sure they are followed. The team also reviewed the department’s training process and spent time interviewing members of the department as well as some residents.
“This is our barometer to show how we’re doing,” the chief said.
The commission, which recertifies departments every three years once they become accredited, found the Highland Beach agency to have a flawless inspection in 2022 as well as this year.
The department first became accredited in 2016 and was also recertified, but not as flawless, in 2019.
The Highland Beach police’s success in achieving flawless inspections, the chief said, is due in large part to the efforts of training and accreditation manager Eric Aronowitz, who oversees the process.
Hartmann said he was especially pleased to hear the inspectors share his staff’s views about the culture in the department.
“They made it a point to comment on how impressed they were with the culture they felt exists in the department and the level of commitment they saw,” he said.
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