Press Releases

Lafayette Sheriff's Office Earns Prestigious “Triple Crown" Award

Monday, February 11, 2008

Lafayette Sheriff's Office Earns Prestigious “Triple Crown" Award
Nation's 25th Sheriff's Office to Receive Distinguished Award


Having earned three national accreditations, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office has received the highest honor achievable in the law enforcement community. On January 17, 2008, Lafayette Parish Sheriff Michael W. Neustrom will stepped forward to accept the prestigious “Triple Crown" award at the National Sheriff's Association's 2008 winter conference in New Orleans.

The Triple Crown recognizes agencies that have received accreditation with three accreditation commissions; the American Correctional Association (ACA), the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), and National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC).

The highly distinguished Triple Crown represents many years of hard work, preparation, and a dedicated commitment to law enforcement excellence by Sheriff Neustrom and his department. Upon receiving the Triple Crown, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office became the 25th Sheriff's Office in the United States to ever receive this award and the first in Louisiana to achieve such an honor.

The journey to the Triple Crown, however, came as no easy task. The initial work began after Sheriff Neustrom took office in 2000. His goal was to restructure the department to function under a strict set of uniform law enforcement standards. After several years of policy implementations and restructuring, the Lafayette Sheriff's Office was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The department was reaccredited by CALEA in April of 2006.
Law enforcement accreditation carries many useful benefits and represents the department's acceptance of the obligation to continue the quest for professional excellence. Accreditation boosts morale among employees and staff, and promotes the use of training for employees to do their jobs in the most professional manner possible.

While Sheriff Neustrom and his employees are proud and honored to receive the Triple Crown, over the years they have grown to realize the work for maintaining all three accreditations is an on-going process. Every three years, the department is required to undergo an on-site commission review from each accreditation authority to ensure that the highest standards of law enforcement services continue to be met. It's a challenge that both Sheriff Neustrom and his office are eager and ready to accept.

Lt. J. Craig Stansbury
Public Information Officer
Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
337.236.5876