Agency only the second in Florida to receive that accreditation
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Property and Evidence Section has been reaccredited through the International Association of Property and Evidence (IAPE), Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman has announced.
“SCSO is only the second agency in Florida to receive the IAPE accreditation,” which was awarded the first time in September 2020, a news release points out. “The agency was slated to be reaccredited in late 2023,” but, as a result of reorganization within the IAPE and the rewriting of the accreditation standards, that was delayed, the release explains. “At the end of 2024 the final preparations were made for the IAPE on-site assessment, which required the formulation of additional documents and revision of current documents” to prove compliance with the updated standards of the IAPE, the release adds.
“The process was tedious, but we are committed to security, organization, and professionalism,” said Property and Evidence Manager Lisa Lanham in the release. “The hard work was definitely worth it.”
Lanham also noted that, in its assessment, the IAPE team wrote that the SCSO is “an exemplary model for other agencies in upholding best practices and maintaining the criminal justice system’s integrity through effective property and evidence management.”
The release further explains, “Accreditation through IAPE has been offered to law enforcement agencies that meet strict standards related to best practices in evidence management since 2014. The process of accreditation demonstrates to a community that the agency will ensure the integrity of the criminal justice process by protecting and preserving evidence to the highest standard.”
“Maintaining this accreditation means we are continuing a legacy of excellence within the Property and Evidence Section of the agency and continuing to work at the highest standards in law enforcement,” said Sheriff Kurt Hoffman in the release.