Burke County Sheriff
BCSO State Certified
The Burke County Sheriff's Office is now an officially accredited Sheriff's Office by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. Sheriff Alfonzo Williams and his team have been working towards State Law Enforcement Certification for the past two years. To accomplish this goal, the Sheriff's Office was required to show proficiency in 129 state law enforcement standards" according to Burke County Sheriff's Office Sheriff Alfonzo Williams.
Certification is a progressive and time-proven way of helping law enforcement agencies calculate and improve their overall performances. The foundation of certification lies in the promulgation of standards containing a clear statement of professional objectives. Participating agencies conduct a thorough self-analysis to determine how existing operations can be adapted to meet these objectives. When the procedures are in place, a team of trained assessors verifies that applicable standards have been successfully implemented. The process culminates with a decision by the joint executive committee that the agency has met the requirements for certification.
Trained assessors from across the state of Georgia completed their inspection of the Burke County Sheriff's Office, polices, procedures, equipment, response times, training, etc. and verified that BCSO has met or exceeded all 129 standards. The State Certification Joint Review Committee met and reviewed the on-site assessment report for our agency and approved our certification.
- Certification status represents a significant professional achievement. Certification acknowledges the implementation of policies and procedures that are conceptually sound and operationally effective. The benefits of certification include but are not limited to:
- Confirmation that agency practices are consistent with progressive professional standards;
- Greater operational and administrative effectiveness;
- Enhanced understanding of agency policies and practices;
- Greater public confidence in the agency;
- Recognition in the field of outstanding achievement;
- Reduced liability potential; Greater governmental and community support.
According to Sheriff Williams, “We have been working towards this goal with our County Commissioners, Partners, and the Citizens for quite some time in an effort to ensure we meet or exceed all of the minimum state standards. We have been able to greatly lower violent and property crimes through pro-active policing strategies and lowered response times; triple the amount of yearly training for our personnel; provide proper safety and de-escalation equipment to our Deputies; and increase the use of technology in order to improve service to our community. We are honored to serve and protect in such a great community and are proud to now being a Georgia State Certified Agency."
He added, "We are very proud of all of the hard work and dedication that out Deputies put forth each and every day -- those on the front lines are the true heroes and this is a testament to their work ethic, empathy, community involvement, and problem solving. We also greatly appreciate the support we receive from our media partners. Thanks for keeping people properly informed and helping to make us better as well. Together, we can all make the world a better place."