State Certification

State of Georgia Law Enforcement Certification Program

The State of Georgia Law Enforcement Certification Program is comprised of a comprehensive set of voluntary, model management, operational, and service level standards for Georgia law enforcement agencies. There are currently 129 standards which must be met. This process usually takes 1 to 2 years to complete. Hall County Sheriff's Office first met those standards in July 2003.

These standards reflect the best professional requirements and practices for a law enforcement agency. The State Certification Program is administered by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and establishes professional standards for which each certified agency must demonstrate compliance. Standards cover a wide array of subject matter. By meeting these standards, the Sheriff's Office must analyze in detail both internal and external operations. Meeting standards enables the Sheriff's Office to provide the highest professional service to the citizens of our community.

Benefits of Certification

State certified agencies are more likely to obtain favorable results in relation to liability claims. The achievement places the Hall County Sheriff's Office as one of the 20 sheriff's offices in the state to be certified out of 159 counties. Hall County is one of 108 law enforcement agencies in Georgia out of over 700 law enforcement agencies statewide, only 15% of agencies have met state certification.

Hall County

Experienced law enforcement professionals from outside agencies inspect the agencies facilities, examine policies and procedures, and audit files built for each certification standard to verify compliance. These specially trained assessors have found the Hall County Sheriff's Office has met or exceeded all standards of the State Certification Program. State certification is not a one-time process. The department will be reassessed every 3 years to ensure continued compliance.