Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Support Services Bureau
- Forensic Science Division
- Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Division
Professional Standards Bureau
- Policy Development and Accreditation Division

ANSI Accreditation Board (ANAB)

What:
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Science Division was awarded accreditation from the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB).

When:
Accreditation was presented on Thursday, March 28, 2019.

Where:
Accreditation was presented at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office located at 10750 Ulmerton Road in Largo.

Why/How:
On March 28, 2019, the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) presented the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Sciences Division and the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Division a certificate of accreditation.

ANAB formally presented Sheriff Gualtieri with the award at the Sheriff's Administration Building located at 10750 Ulmerton Road in Largo.

The accreditation ceremony marks the Forensic Science Division and the AFIS Division as leaders in their fields, as well as trusted professionals that uphold the highest standards of law enforcement.

In 2017, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office began the process of obtaining this accreditation. In November 2018, both divisions held their first accreditation assessments, where four professionals from other law enforcement agencies visited to perform a thorough audit of the forensic and AFIS facilities. 

The Forensic Science and AFIS Division met 236 requirements in aspects that included confidentiality, contracts, training programs, annual proficiency testing, equipment maintenance, and standard operating procedures.

The ANSI Accreditation Board is the largest multi-disciplinary accreditation body in North America and the largest forensic accrediting body in the world.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is one of the few sheriff's offices to hold the Triple Crown Award for accreditation. Currently, only eight sheriff’s offices in the United States hold the Triple Crown Award as well as forensic accreditation through ANAB. 

The sheriff’s office was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in 1988, the American Correctional Association in 1984, and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care in 1987. Additionally, the sheriff's office adheres to the Florida Model Jail Standards.

The sheriff’s office maintains these accreditations to uphold the highest standards for law enforcement throughout the country.