Sheriff quits accreditation program

Nearly three months after an investigation by The News Leader into almost $4,000 of missing drug money at the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office, the agency pulled out of an accreditation program.

The sheriff’s office was reaccredited by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission in March. The accreditation is for a four year period and the agency has been accredited for the last 12 years.

Deputy Felicia Glick of the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office, said she pulled information regarding the agency’s accreditation off its website on Friday.

“There was no official announcement,” Glick said. “We sent them a letter on the 20th withdrawing from the program.”

Glick read a prepared statement from Sheriff Randy Fisher regarding his decision to no longer be in an accredited program. Fisher announced he would not seek re-election in February for the November election. Fisher’s last day will be Dec. 31.

“I have too much respect for the integrity of the program and what it means to agencies that are accredited to allow my agency to be a distraction to the commission,” Fisher said in the prepared statement. “While I believe there has been no criminal violation committed, regarding the disappearance of money from the sheriffs office evidence room, I have to wait until the completion of an ongoing investigation before making any judgments or decision. The sheriff’s office will continue to operate under the same polices and procedures and set forth by the professional standards commission.”

According to the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission, accreditation helps law enforcement agencies prevent and control crime through more effective and efficient delivery in a community.

“Accreditation creates a forum in which police and citizens work together to control and prevent crime,” VLEPSC states on its website. “This partnership will help citizens to understand the challenges that confront law enforcement. Law enforcement will, in turn, receive clear direction from the community about its expectations. Thus, a common set of goals and objectives will be arrived at and implemented.”

Glick, who is listed as the accreditation manager for the sheriff’s office, said the program was voluntary and this decision will not change their daily operations.

She said the accreditation is not “directly tied to funding,” but declined to talk about the decision to withdrawal from the program. Glick said there was an annual bonus for the sheriff when he entered into the accreditation program, but she did not know how much he received.

The sheriff’ office is in the process of removing any signs or stickers associated with its former accreditation.

Fisher was unavailable for comment.