PR03-018

Date:

June 18, 2003

 
Fulton Sheriff Earns Prestigious “Triple Crown”; Nation’s 23rd Law Enforcement Agency To Receive Distinguished Award

Having earned three national accreditations, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is about to receive the highest honor achievable in the law enforcement community. On Monday, June 23rd, Fulton County Sheriff Jacquelyn H. Barrett will step forward to accept the prestigious “Triple Crown” award at the National Sheriff’s Association, 2003 annual conference in Nashville.

The highly distinguished Triple Crown represents many years of hard work, preparation, and a dedicated commitment to law enforcement excellence by Sheriff Barrett and her department. Upon receiving the Triple Crown, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office will become the 23rd law enforcement agency in the United States to ever receive this award, and the first in Georgia to achieve such an honor.

The journey to the Triple Crown, however, came as no easy task. The initial work began after Sheriff Barrett took office in 1993. Her goal was to restructure the department to function under a strict set of uniform law enforcement standards. On March 25, 2000, after several years of policy implementations and restructuring, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The department was reaccredited by CALEA last March.

While maintaining its CALEA accreditation, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office was also accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care in February, 2001. The department became eligible for the Triple Crown after receiving its final accreditation by the American Correctional Association on January 13th of this year.

Law enforcement accreditation carries many useful benefits. It provides stronger defense against lawsuits and citizen complaints, and represents the department’s acceptance of the obligation to continue the quest for professional excellence. Accreditation boosts morale among employees and staff, and promotes the use of training for employees to do their jobs in the most professional manner possible.

While Sheriff Barrett and her employees are proud and honored to receive the Triple Crown, over the years they have grown to realize the work for maintaining all three accreditations is an on-going process. Every three years, the department is required to undergo an on-site commission review from each accreditation authority to ensure that the highest standards of law enforcement services continue to be met. It’s a challenge that both Sheriff Barrett and her department are eager and ready to accept.

The National Sheriff’s Association Conference in Nashville, Tennessee runs from June 21st to June 25th, at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. The Triple Crown award will be presented on Monday, June 23rd at the General Sessions meeting between 3 and 5pm.

For more information, please contact Sergeant Clarence Huber at (404) 730-4148. Sergeant Huber can also be reached on his digital pager at (404) 742-6798.