Three-day on-site assessment took place in December
The Crime Scene Unit (CSU) of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) has been accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation in the Forensic Inspection field, Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman has announced.
The agency received its official notification of what is known as the “ISO 17020-2012 accreditation” on Feb. 25, “after completing a rigorous process of review covering procedural compliance, assessment, and training that started over four years ago,” a news release explains. “To accomplish this goal, the SCSO CSU policies and procedures were built, including the writing of quality and procedures manuals and Standard Operating Procedures,” the release adds.
“The adherence to these processes brought the lab into compliance,” the release points out. “All CSU members received training to ensure an understanding of how and why accreditation applies to the unit’s operations,” the release continues.
“It was a long, arduous process, but one that is completely worthwhile,” said Crime Scene Manager Candace Matthews in the release. “Making certain that we are providing the appropriate and approved forensic practices accepted by the forensic community means we are providing the best services for the citizens in Sarasota County.”
In December 2024, the release notes, a three-day on-site assessment “required the SCSO lab to meet 300 areas of conformance and prove that all requirements of 17020 accreditation had been met. After the assessment,” the release adds, “two corrections were necessary for accreditation approval.”
“SCSO is thrilled to be one of only four agencies in Florida that have the 17020 Forensic Inspection accreditation for a Crime Scene Unit,” said Sheriff Hoffman in the release. “It is always our goal to set our standards high, and our Crime Scene Unit has met those standards and accomplished this through dedication and hard work.”