The Accreditation Unit is a component of the Office of Professional Compliance, which is a staff function within the Office of the Sheriff.  The primary mission of the Accreditation Unit is to maintain the agency's professional accreditations.

The Accreditation Unit is managed by the agency's Accreditation Manager and is staffed with one (1) Accreditation Analyst and three (3) Accreditation Specialists, who are responsible for ensuring that the agency maintains compliance with all the applicable professional standards of each accreditation process. At present, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is an “Eight Star Accredited” agency.  Each accreditation program is  a voluntary process, which provides a systematic and internal review and assessment of the agency's policies and procedures. 

The agency's health care provider for the jails has been accredited with the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) since 1985.  The agency was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 1994.  Since then, the agency has achieved and maintained accreditation with CALEA, Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program (PSCA), Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc. (CFA), Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission, Inc. (FCAC), National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. (NIGP), Public Safety Training Academy Accreditation Program (PSTAA), and National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch.

The Accreditation Unit is also responsible for reviewing and maintaining the agency’s written directive system, e.g., General Orders, Department Directives, Division Procedures and all forms used by the agency. All publications and agency forms are extensively reviewed for compliance with all applicable accreditation standards before being disseminated to agency members.

8 Star Accredited Agency