On-Site Accreditation Report - Port Orange Police Department: August 23-25, 2000
Filed by Commander George Small, Altamonte Springs Police Department

Agency Profile: In 1913, the "Town of Port Orange" was incorporated with a population of 380 people. In 1925, the Town of Port Orange was abolished and renamed the "City of Port Orange" by the Florida legislature. Currently, the City of Port Orange occupies an area of approximately 27 square miles and has a population of 44,738 residents. A motto was developed and adopted which adequately describes the city's philosophy: "Unique by choice, not by chance."

The Port Orange Police Department is a proud, professional agency comprised by 74 sworn members and 32 civilian personnel. An annual operating budget of 4.9 million dollars funds this proactive agency. A particularly strong emphasis is placed on the delivery of "Community Oriented" policing initiatives and services to the citizens of Port Orange.

On-Site Assessment Summary: The Assessment Team met on the morning of August 23, 2000 and conducted some preliminary training and discussions regarding the Port Orange Police Department's reaccreditation on-site assessment. With a game plan in mind, the assessment team proceeded to the Port Orange Police Department headquarters to begin the assessment. Upon arrival, we met Officer Kathy Sylvester, Accreditation Manager, and were escorted to the conference room where the file review portion of the assessment would be conducted.

Upon settling in, the team had the pleasure to meet Chief Gerald M. Monahan, Jr. and his command staff. It was learned that Chief Monahan has been the CEO of the Port Orange Police Department for only a year, however, he approached this reaccreditation as a top priority. As first impressions tend to be lasting impressions, the team's impression of the Port Orange Police Department's management team was very positive. The geographical location of the headquarters facility and its landscaping also projected a very professional appearance. The Police Department, however, is experiencing growing pains and this has resulted in an ongoing renovation of the headquarters building, which includes the construction of a new state-of-the-art Property and Evidence building.

The assessment team then proceeded to the agency tour portion of the assessment. The agency tour was very revealing, in that it gave the assessment team a very candid opportunity to view the Port Orange Police Department. The first noticeable item was the size of the facility. It became readily apparent that office space was at a premium, basically justifying the need for the aforementioned renovations. However, all areas observed were very neat and clean. A modified static display was conducted and effectively showcased the diversity of the Agency, its personnel and equipment. The Patrol, Traffic, Crime Scene, and Animal Control units were represented by qualified professionals who were very knowledgeable to all issues and questions raised. Striking a particular interest to the assessment team was the agency's extensive use of civilian volunteers (VIPS), an enthusiastic group of individuals who were very visible throughout the assessment.

As the agency tour continued, the team members made numerous observations of standard-related items to verify agency compliance. With all the looking around, the team members strived to make contact with as many Department employees as possible. A consistent theme noted by the assessors was the positive, pleasant demeanor of the employees who were contacted. Despite the perceived "intense" questioning, Port Orange personnel maintained very professional attitudes.

The file review portion of the assessment began later than expected. Each assessor was assigned chapters to review for compliance. Several areas of concern that were noted during the agency tour were discussed in detail with the accrediting staff during the file review. Upon inspecting the accreditation files, some minor discrepancies were identified and corrected. Assessment team members discussed the replacing of unsigned directives in the accreditation files with signed ones, provided highlighting and added or suggested additional proofs of compliance be included where needed. The team's overall impression of the files was good.

The Port Orange Police Department's Accreditation Manager and command staff were very quick to respond to issues identified by the team, and made immediate corrections where possible. It was not unusual during the assessment to literally "run into" personnel working on correcting discrepancies identified (replacing locks, bolting lockers down, etc.). The general impression received was the Port Orange Police Department has embraced the true concept of accreditation by laboring to improve its delivery of services every day.

The following individuals were specifically interviewed and impressed the assessment team. VIP Tom Quick was present to explain the bicycle patrol (civilian). Detective Tyler Parks provided a very in-depth overview of the Department's Crime Scene and Property and Evidence section. Detective Parks is extremely knowledgeable in his area and takes incredible pictures! Ms. Marge Kelly is the administrative assistant to Chief Monahan. Ms. Kelly maintains a firm grip on the administrative procedures at the Port Orange Police Department. Officer Rosario was an outstanding representative of the patrol division. He single handedly fended off three accreditation assessors with his prompt, accurate responses to policy questions. Mr. Tom Bliven impressed the team with his informative description of the various responsibilities in the Community Service/Animal Control position. In the communications center, Alicia Pope was called upon to respond to questions and demonstrate the functionality of equipment. All the individuals who were contacted represented the agency with professionalism and were a pleasure to interact with.

An exit interview was conducted with Chief Monahan and his command staff on Friday, August 25, 2000, wherein a summarization of the assessment was delivered. Chief Monahan and all members of the command staff were attentive to all issues discussed. It was clear that the agency expended a substantial amount of time on their reaccreditation endeavor. The issues concerning the non-compliance of several standards (mentioned above) were corrected as witnessed by the receipt of adequate support documentation on September 1, 2000.

Therefore, based on the conclusion of this on-site assessment, a tally of the standards applicable indicated that the Port Orange Police Department has successfully met 100 mandatory standards and 121 other than mandatory standards, electing only 6 standards for a 20% exemption. This reaccreditation accomplishment is a credit to the accreditation team, management staff and the entire agency.

Standards Summary:

Summary and Recommendations: In summation, this CFA Assessment Team found the Port Orange Police Department to be a very professional department. All issues identified during the on-site assessment that required attention have been addressed to the satisfaction of the Team leader. Therefore, it is without reservation that this Assessment Team recommends the Port Orange Police Department be considered by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc. for reaccreditation status. The Port Orange Police Department complied with 100 applicable mandatory standards, 121 applicable other than mandatory standards, and opted to use only 6 standards for 20% exemption.