BUNNELL, FL – The National Sheriff’s Association (NSA) notified the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office that FCSO was selected as the winner of NSA’s Crime Victim Services Award for 2024. It’s a prestigious award that annually recognizes outstanding achievement by a sheriff’s office in support of victims.
Under the leadership of Sheriff Rick Staly, FCSO has developed a culture, team, policies, programs, and resources that put the needs of victims first in everything the organization does each day. It provides law enforcement services for more than 130,000 residents in an area that continues to be one of the fastest growing counties in the state and nation.
After taking office in 2017, Sheriff Staly developed a Guardianship Policing Model, a methodology that ensures crime prevention is truly a community effort. Through this model, FCSO consistently delivers exceptional services to victims of crimes with the help of the many alliances the organization has built throughout Flagler County with community groups, neighborhood associations, civic associations, businesses, and schools.
Under these and other directives, FCSO achieved a 54% crime reduction between 2017 and 2022. These efforts are also due in large part to the many programs and campaigns designed to keep citizens from becoming victims of crime and from becoming targets for criminals.
“We are very honored to receive notification of this award. I’m honored the dedicated professionals we have working at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, especially in our Victim Services and Behavioral Response Units, are being recognized by NSA,” said Sheriff Staly. “We will continue to raise the bar on victim services.”
The award will be presented to FCSO at the 2024 NSA Annual Conference in Oklahoma City this summer. Sheriff Staly was previously awarded life membership in NSA.
NSA established the Crime Victim Services Award in 2005 with funding support from the Office for Victims of Crime. The award has been sponsored by Appriss Insights since 2008. Some past winners of this prestigious award include Suffolk County, New York; Harford County, Maryland; and Orange County, Florida.
Learn more about the National Sheriff’s Association at: https://www.sheriffs.org/