MOUNT VERNON — Three years ago the Knox County Sheriff’s Office joined law enforcement’s elite by becoming internationally accredited.

According to Sheriff David Barber an accredited agency must be re-evaluated every three years. This process will include an on-site assessment by a team of CALEA assessors who will examine all aspects of the sheriff’s office operation, including policy and procedure, staffing, training and administration. The assessors arrive Saturday, Aug. 28, and conclude their on-site evaluation on Tuesday, Aug. 31.

Barber said the agency must be in compliance with 474 individual law enforcement standards and added that Accreditation Manager Deputy Dan Selby has been doing an excellent job of preparing the sheriff’s office for the reaccreditation.

Citizens may call the assessors on Monday, Aug. 30, at (740) 507-2733 from 1 to 3 p.m. to endorse the sheriff’s office for the reaccreditation, which is designed to verify that the agency meets professional standards.

The sheriff’s office employees and citizens are invited to offer comments at a public information session on Monday, Aug. 30, at 6 p.m. That session will be held at the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County in Conference Rooms A and B.

The Knox County Sheriffs Office is only the fourth out of 88 Ohio sheriff’s offices to become CALEA accredited.