Skip to main navigation Skip to main content
Home
  Search
  Menu
  Search
  Menu
  • Enroll Today
  • Login
  • Language
    • English
    • Español
Shopping cart 0 items

Main navigation

  • About Us
    • About the Commission
    • Our Commissioners
    • Become Accredited
    • Join Us
    • CALEA Annual Reports
    • Contact Us
    • Mexican Delegates
  • Why CALEA
    • Benefits of Accreditation
    • Perspectives on Accreditation
    • Perpetual Action for Public Safety
  • Accreditation Programs
    • Our Programs
    • 5 Step Process
    • Accreditation Cost
    • Quick Guide to Accreditation
  • In The News
    • Announcements
    • Press Release
    • Featured Articles
    • Awards
  • Conference & Events
    • Event Calendar
    • Attend a Conference
    • Previous Conferences
    • Presentation Request Form
  • Education
    • Accreditation Manager Online Training
    • Webinars
    • Tools & Tutorials
    • Manual Subscriptions
    • Accreditation Manager Prerequisite Videos
  • Resources
    • Find a Regional Program Manager
    • Accreditation Support Networks
    • Accreditation Manager Certification
    • Accreditation Manager Recertification
    • Client Database
    • Peer-to-Peer Recruitment
    • Job Postings
    • Commission Proposals for Comment
    • CALEA Standards Development Recognition
    • W9 Request
    • Emblem Item Store

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Standards Lead to Solving Cold Cases

Standards Lead to Solving Cold Cases

FLplantation.jpgby Ms. Debbie Fantigrassi
Accreditation Manager
Plantation (FL) Police Department

In the course of complying with a mandatory accreditation standard, the Department’s General Services Captain, Brian Pillado, conducted a semi-annual inspection of the property and evidence function.  The inspection included an inventory of high liability items and general evidence.  During the inventory, two 30-year old rape kits, 1982 and 1983 respectively, were identified that met the criteria for a cold case review/investigation.  The review/investigation of unsolved/cold cases is also an accreditation standard.     

The 1982 case involved a suspect who abducted two females at gunpoint and sexually battered one of them.  Multiple felonies were committed during the criminal episode.  Evidence in the case was submitted to the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) Crime Lab and a suspect was linked to the crime through DNA evidence.  The suspect is serving a life sentence in prison on an unrelated sexual battery case, and confessed to Department detectives in a prison interview.   The suspect is not eligible for parole and is destined to spend the rest of his life in prison, so a decision was made to forego criminal prosecution and not subject the victim to a trial.     

The 1983 case involved a young couple who was putting their five year old son to bed one evening when a suspect committed an armed home invasion demanding money and jewelry.  As the female victim came out of her son’s bedroom, the suspect ordered both victims to lie on floor, bound the male victims’ hands and feet, threatened to kill them both, and committed sexual battery at gunpoint on the female victim.   Evidence in the case was submitted to the BSO Crime Lab which linked a 49-year old subject to the crime. The suspect was subsequently arrested by Department detectives and charged with Armed Burglary, Armed Sexual Battery, and Armed Kidnapping.  The suspect is currently in the Broward County Detention Center awaiting trial.   

A full inventory of all the rape kits in the custody of the Plantation Police Department identified twenty-two additional cases wherein evidence was subsequently resubmitted to the BSO Crime Lab for analysis.   Those cases are currently pending.  

In my role as Accreditation Manager, I am frequently asked about the benefits of accreditation and why we commit so much time and resources to such a challenging and sometimes arduous process.   The cases set forth above, discovered in a routine, but mandatory evidence inspection/inventory, exemplify why we champion the accreditation process and work hard to maintain our accredited status.   

For the victims of these serious violent crimes, little did they know that an accreditation standard would be a contributing factor in solving their cold cases three decades later.  Although one victim died of natural causes, hopefully the surviving victims and families will find some peace knowing the perpetrator that changed their lives forever is being held accountable for their crime.

Justice prevails and ACCREDITATION WORKS!

Main navigation

  • About Us
    • About the Commission
      • What is Accreditation
      • Our History
    • Our Commissioners
    • Become Accredited
    • Join Us
      • Become a Site-Based Assessment Team Member
      • Become a Certified Accreditation Manager
    • CALEA Annual Reports
    • Contact Us
    • Mexican Delegates
  • Why CALEA
    • Benefits of Accreditation
    • Perspectives on Accreditation
    • Perpetual Action for Public Safety
  • Accreditation Programs
    • Our Programs
      • Law Enforcement
      • Communications
      • Training Academy
      • Campus Security
    • 5 Step Process
      • Enrollment
      • Self-Assessment
      • Assessment
      • Commission Review Decision
      • Maintaining Accreditation
    • Accreditation Cost
      • Law Enforcement Accreditation: Cost
      • Public Safety Communications Accreditation: Cost
      • Public Safety Training Academy Accreditation: Cost
      • Campus Security Accreditation: Cost
    • Quick Guide to Accreditation
  • In The News
    • Announcements
    • Press Release
    • Featured Articles
    • Awards
  • Conference & Events
    • Event Calendar
    • Attend a Conference
    • Previous Conferences
    • Presentation Request Form
  • Education
    • Accreditation Manager Online Training
    • Webinars
    • Tools & Tutorials
      • CALEA Status Calculator
      • CIMRS
      • PowerDMS
      • Tools for Multiple Programs Accreditation
    • Manual Subscriptions
    • Accreditation Manager Prerequisite Videos
  • Resources
    • Find a Regional Program Manager
    • Accreditation Support Networks
    • Accreditation Manager Certification
    • Accreditation Manager Recertification
    • Client Database
    • Peer-to-Peer Recruitment
    • Job Postings
    • Commission Proposals for Comment
    • CALEA Standards Development Recognition
    • W9 Request
    • Emblem Item Store
CTA Icon: Computer CTA Icon: Computer hover Our Programs
Summer Conference Oklahoma City, OK July 26-29, 2023 Learn More Thumbnail
PAC Meeting
Mar 13, 2023 - Mar 13, 2023
NNEPAC

Stay Connected

Facebook Twitter Linked In

CALEA®
13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 160, Gainesville, VA 20155
Payment Remittance: Box 424064 Washington, DC 20042-4064
P: 703.352.4225  |  F: 703.890.3126  |  E: calea@calea.org

  •  Resources
  •  Contact Us
  •  Manual Subscriptions

© Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., CALEA® 2023. All Rights Reserved.

  • Footer Logo
  • Footer Logo
  • Footer Logo
  • Footer Logo
    • About Us
      • About the Commission
        • What is Accreditation
        • Our History
      • Our Commissioners
        • Commission at Work
      • Become Accredited
      • Join Us
        • Become a Site-Based Assessment Team Member
        • Become a Certified Accreditation Manager
      • CALEA Annual Reports
      • Contact Us
      • Mexican Delegates
    • Why CALEA
      • Benefits of Accreditation
      • Perspectives on Accreditation
      • Perpetual Action for Public Safety
    • Accreditation Programs
      • Our Programs
        • Law Enforcement
        • Communications
        • Training Academy
        • Campus Security
      • 5 Step Process
        • Enrollment
        • Self-Assessment
        • Assessment
        • Commission Review Decision
        • Maintaining Accreditation
      • Accreditation Cost
        • Law Enforcement Accreditation: Cost
        • Public Safety Communications Accreditation: Cost
        • Public Safety Training Academy Accreditation: Cost
        • Campus Security Accreditation: Cost
      • Quick Guide to Accreditation
    • In The News
      • Announcements
      • Press Release
      • Featured Articles
        • Protecting Lives: Comprehensively Addressing the Oath of Office
      • Awards
        • CALEA Agency Support Program (CASP)
        • Cotter Award
        • Bittner Award
        • President's Award
        • Tri Arc Award
          • CALEA TRI-ARC Awarded Agencies
        • Meritorious Award
        • Excellence Award
    • Conference & Events
      • Event Calendar
      • Attend a Conference
      • Previous Conferences
      • Presentation Request Form
    • Education
      • Accreditation Manager Online Training
      • Webinars
        • CALEA Conference Review Webinars
      • Tools & Tutorials
        • CALEA Status Calculator
        • CIMRS
        • PowerDMS
        • Tools for Multiple Programs Accreditation
      • Manual Subscriptions
      • Accreditation Manager Prerequisite Videos
    • Resources
      • Find a Regional Program Manager
      • Accreditation Support Networks
      • Accreditation Manager Certification
      • Accreditation Manager Recertification
      • Client Database
      • Peer-to-Peer Recruitment
      • Job Postings
      • Assessor Resources
      • Client Resources
        • Benefits for CALEA Accredited Agencies
        • Technology Discounts
      • Commission Proposals for Comment
      • CALEA Standards Development Recognition
      • W9 Request
      • Emblem Item Store
    • Enroll Today
    • My account
      • Log in
    • Login
  • CALEA Social Media
    • Stay Connected

      Facebook Twitter Linked In