
Deputy sheriff Mogollon New Mexico in
1940
In the
United
States
, a sheriff
is generally (but not always) the highest law enforcement officer of a county and commander of militia in that county. A distinct part of
law enforcement in
the United States, sheriffs are usually
elected. The political election of a person to
serve as a
police leader is an almost
uniquely American tradition.
(The Honorary
Police of Jersey
, a UK
Crown Dependency in the Channel Islands, have been elected since at
least the 16th century.)
There are about 3,500 county sheriff's offices/departments in the
United States; they range from one- or two-member forces to the
16,400-member (plus 400 reserve deputies)
Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department. The average sheriff's department in the
United States employs 24.5 sworn officers. The nation's sheriffs
are represented by the
National Sheriffs'
Association, founded in 1940.
In many rural areas of the United States, particularly in the
South, the sheriff has
traditionally been viewed as one of a given county's most
influential political office-holders.
Deputy Sheriff
All law enforcement officers working for the agency headed by a
sheriff are called
sheriff's deputies,
deputy sheriffs,
sheriff's
police, or
sheriff's officer and are so
called because they are deputized by the sheriff to perform the
same duties as he. (In some states, however, a sheriff may not be a
sworn officer but merely an elected official in charge of sworn
officers.) These officers may be subdivided into general deputies
and special deputies. In some places, the sheriff has the
responsibility to recover any deceased persons within their county.
That is
why often the full title is Deputy Sheriff-Coroner, Deputy Sheriff
Coroner or Deputy Sheriff/Coroner, and
the sheriff's title is Sheriff Coroner or
Sheriff/Coroner (like in California's San
Bernardino
, Riverside
, Orange
and Ventura
counties). The second-in-command of the department is
sometimes called an
undersheriff or "Chief Deputy". This
is akin to the deputy
chief of
police position of a
police
department. In some counties, the undersheriff is the
Warden of the county
jail
or other local
correctional
institution.
Jurisdiction and legal basis
In the U.S., the relationship between the sheriff and other police
departments varies widely from
state to
state, and indeed in some states from county to county. The general
rule is that sheriff deputies concentrate their law enforcement
activities in the unincorporated areas of their county, and on
county property such as courthouses, and their role in incorporated
areas is more supportive than primary. In some areas of the
Northeast, the sheriff's
duties have been greatly reduced with the advent of state-level law
enforcement agencies, especially the
state
police and local agencies such as the
county police.
Duties
Most sheriffs' offices have a responsibility for law enforcement,
their basic function which dates all the way back to the origins of
the office in feudal England. Although the authority of the sheriff
varies from state to state, a sheriff or his deputies (in all
states except Delaware where it is going through arbitration) has
the power to make arrests within his or her own jurisdiction. Some
states extend this authority to adjacent counties or to the entire
state.
Many sheriffs' offices also perform routine patrol functions such
as traffic control, accident investigations, and transportation of
prisoners. Larger departments may perform criminal investigations
or engage in other specialized law enforcement activities. Some
unusually large sheriffs' offices may have an air patrol (including
fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters), a mounted patrol or a marine
patrol at their disposal.
Many sheriffs enlist the aid of local neighborhoods in working to
prevent crime. The National Neighborhood Watch Program, sponsored
by the National Sheriffs' Association, allows citizens and law
enforcement officials to cooperate in keeping communities
safe.
As the sheriff's law enforcement duties become more extensive and
complex, new career opportunities for people with specialized
skills are opening up in sheriff's offices around the country.
Among the specialties now in demand are underwater diving,
piloting, boating, skiing, radar technology, communications,
computer technology, accounting, emergency medicine, and foreign
languages (especially
Spanish).
Sheriff offices may coexist with other county level law enforcement
agencies such as the
County police,
County park police, etc.
Sheriff's categories
Sheriffs in the United States generally fall into three broad
categories:
- Restricted service — provide basic court related services such
as keeping the county jail, transporting
prisoners, providing courthouse security and other duties with regard
to service of process and
summonses that are issued by county and
state courts. The sheriff also often conducts
public auction sales of real property in foreclosure in many jurisdictions, and is often
also empowered to conduct seizures of chattel property to satisfy a judgment. In other jurisdictions, these civil
process duties are performed by other officers, such as a marshal or constable.
Examples are the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office in Pennsylvania and
the New York City Sheriff's Office (a division of the NYC
Department of Finance).
- Limited service — along with the above, perform some type of
traditional law-enforcement function such as investigations and
patrol. This may be limited to security
police duties on county properties (and others by contract) to
the performance of these duties in unincorporated areas of the
county, and some incorporated areas by contract. One example is the
San Francisco
Sheriff's Department in California.
- Full service — The most common type, provide all traditional
law-enforcement functions, including countywide patrol and
investigations irrespective of municipal boundaries.
Note:
There are two federal equivalents of the sheriff; one is the
United States Marshals
Service, an agency of the Department of
Justice
. There are 94 United States Marshals, one
for each federal judicial district. The U.S. Marshal and his or her
Deputy Marshals are responsible for the transport of prisoners and
security for the
United
States district courts, and also issue and enforce certain
civil process.
The other is the Marshal of the United States
Supreme Court who performs all court related duties for the
Supreme Court of the United
States
.
Sheriff types by state
Alabama
In Alabama, a sheriff is an elected official and the chief law
enforcement officer in any given county. There exists one sheriff
for each of Alabama's 67 counties, with a varying number of
deputies and assorted staff (usually dependent on the population).
A sheriff's office generally provides law enforcement services to
unincorporated towns and cities within the boundaries of their
county.
Alaska
The office of sheriff does not exist in Alaska. Instead the
functions that would be performed by deputy sheriffs (such as civil
process and prisoner transport) are performed by
Alaska State Troopers. Court security
is provided by contracted security guards.
Arizona
In Arizona, a sheriff is an elected official and the chief law
enforcement officer in any given county. There exists one sheriff
for each of
Arizona's 15
counties, with a varying number of deputies and assorted staff
(usually dependent on population). A sheriff's office (the term
"department" is incorrect where Arizona is concerned) generally
provides law enforcement services to unincorporated towns and
cities within the boundaries of their county. In addition, many
sheriff's offices have agreements with the
Arizona Department of
Corrections and local police agencies to provide for the
transport and detention of prisoners. After sentencing, many
convicted persons are handed over to the AZDOC to serve their
sentence, but this has not always been the case.
Arizona is unique in that many sheriff's offices have formed
semi-permanent
posse
units which can be operated as a reserve to the main deputized
force under a variety of circumstances (and not just for fugitive
retrieval as is historically associated with the term).
The
Maricopa County
Sheriff's Office is the currently the largest sheriff's office
in Arizona with a total of 763 sworn officers and 2,735 civilian
employees as of 2007. It is headed by the well-known and
controversial Sheriff
Joe Arpaio.
Arkansas
In Arkansas, Sheriffs and their deputies are fully empowered peace
officers with county-wide jurisdiction and thus, may legally
exercise their authority in unincorporated and incorporated areas
of a county. All peace officers in Arkansas, whether Sheriffs, city
Police, State Troopers, or Constables, have state-wide arrest
powers for any felony criminal offense committed within their
presence or view.The duties of an Arkansas Sheriff generally
include providing law enforcement services to residents, managing
county jail(s), and providing bailiffs for the county, district,
circuit,and other courts within the county.
With very limited exceptions, Sheriffs and their deputies my
exercise their official authority only within the geographical
boundaries of their specific county.
The Office of Sheriff was created by the state constitution and the
office has not been majorly changed in 100 years.
Sheriffs in Arkansas are elected in even numbered years by citizens
of their county to serve a term of two (2) years in office in
accordance with the state constitution. Sheriffs rely upon the
county's legislative body, known as the "Quorum Court", to
appropriate funding and approve the yearly operating budget.
However, in all other circumstances, the Sheriff is entirely
independent in the management of his elected office and is not
subservient to or accountable to any other elected county official
or body.
In some counties of Arkansas, a sheriff cannot campaign for
reelection while wearing a county owned badge.
California
In
California
, the sheriff's department of each county polices
those areas of the county that do not lie within the jurisdiction
of a police department (e.g., incorporated cities). As such,
the sheriff and his or her deputies in rural areas and
unincorporated municipalities are equivalent to police officers in
the cities. The sheriff's department may also provide policing
services to incorporated cities by contract;
see contract city.
All
peace officers in California are
able to enforce their powers anywhere in the state regardless of
county or municipal boundaries, thus California sheriffs have full
police powers in incorporated and unincorporated municipalities,
outside their own county, and state freeways.
Before 2000, there was a
constable or
marshal in each county who was responsible
for providing bailiffs to the courts and for serving criminal and
civil process.
During a reorganization of the state judicial
system in the early 2000s, the roles of marshal and sheriff were
merged, so that California sheriffs assumed the duties of most
marshals, and the position of constable was eliminated (except in
San Benito
County
, where the state's only remaining marshal's office
is still in use)
Los Angeles Sheriff's Department
The
Los Angeles
County Sheriff's Department (LASD) serves
Los Angeles County,
California. With over 16,000 people, it is the largest Sheriff
department in the United States and provides general-service law
enforcement to unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, serving
as the equivalent of the county police for unincorporated areas of
the county as well as incorporated cities within the county who
have contracted with the agency for law-enforcement services (known
as "contract cities" in local jargon). It also holds primary
jurisdiction over facilities operated by Los Angeles County, such
as local parks, marinas and government buildings (but delegates
much of that authority to the
Los Angeles County
Office of Public Safety); provides marshal service for the
Superior Court of California -
County of Los Angeles; operates the
county jail system; and provides services such as laboratories and
academy training to smaller law enforcement agencies within the
county.
San Francisco
Interestingly, because the City and County of San
Francisco
are consolidated and coterminous (and
are the only city and county in California to be so), the San
Francisco Sheriff historically possessed police authority.
However,
as the San Francisco
Police Department provides general police service for the city,
the Sheriff's Department handles judicial duties, staffs the jail,
and provides security for city facilities such as San Francisco
City Hall
and San Francisco General Hospital
. However, San Francisco Sheriff's deputies
are still sworn
peace officers and can
back up the San Francisco Police as needed, as well as make arrests
for any crimes they come across while performing their
duties.
Colorado
The
Denver Sheriff Department
maintains the correctional facilities within the City and County of
Denver
, while
leaving most patrol duties to the Denver Police
Department.
Connecticut
Connecticut abolished county sheriffs in 2000 by Public Act 00-01.
All civil-process-serving deputies were sworn in as state marshals
and criminal special deputies were sworn in as judicial marshals.
Constables remain municipal officers governed by their respective
town or city.
Delaware
The first
Constitution of Delaware in
1776 made the Sheriff the conservators of the peace within
the three counties of the State which are New
Castle
, Kent
, and Sussex
. The Sheriff was, and still is, chosen by
the citizens of each county at the general elections to serve a
three year term. The Sheriff was to ensure that the peace of the
county be kept; arrested all persons committing riot, murder,
theft, or breach of the peace and carried them before a
Justice of the Peace. The Sheriff could
also appoint such number of deputies to assist them in their
duties. The Office of the Sheriff in Delaware holds a position of
less importance than in the past. Responsibilities are now limited
by tradition not by law to include processing orders of the court
system; summoning inquests, jurors, and witnesses for the courts;
conducting execution sales against personal and real estate
property; and transporting prisoners from the courts.
Florida
Florida
sheriffs are elected in the general elections and
serve as the chief law enforcement officer of the county.
The sheriff's office is responsible for law enforcement,
corrections, and court services within the county. The law
enforcement deputies provide police service to the unincorporated
areas, the detention deputies work within the county jail, and the
court service deputies handle the civil process of serving papers.
Although each county sheriff's office is an independent agency,
they all wear the "Florida's sheriff green" uniform with similar
badges and patches, and drive vehicles with green and gold
designs.
Since the
consolidation of Duval
County
and the City of Jacksonville
governments in 1968, a unified law enforcement
force usually styled the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
(JSO) was created. Commanded by the elected
Sheriff of Duval County, its members are referred to as "Sheriff's
Police Officers" rather than deputies. JSO uniforms are dark navy
blue, and patrol vehicles typically sport a gold stripe with navy
blue "Sheriff" lettering.
Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade
County
(formerly Dade County), which has two
sheriffs/directors appointed by its county commission. In
Miami-Dade County, the duties of the two appointed directors is as
follows:
- One sheriff is simultaneously the Metropolitan Sheriff and the
Director of Public Safety. As the Director of Public Safety he/she
serves as the chief of the Miami-Dade Police Department.
The organization was made famous by the television series Miami Vice and CSI
Miami.
- The other is a sheriff and Director of Corrections (of the
Miami-Dade
Department of Corrections) and is charged with the care and
custody of prisoners
Georgia
One of
five county officials listed in the state constitution, sheriffs in
Georgia
are full-service county officers. Article
IX, Section I of the constitution specifies that sheriffs "shall be
elected by the qualified voters of their respective counties for a
term of four years and shall have such qualifications, powers and
duties as provided by general law." However, several metropolitan
counties have opted to form a
county
police to perform law enforcement functions leaving the sheriff
to court functions. Others also have a
county
marshal who provide civil law enforcement. Even with other
agencies in the same county, such as county police, the Sheriff is
the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of each county. All law
enforcement officers in Georgia have state wide jurisdiction if the
crime happens in their immediate presence, but sheriffs have state
wide jurisdiction also if the crime originated in their county.
This means if someone breaks the law in one county and flees to
another the sheriff can go anywhere inside the state to investigate
the crime, make the arrest, and transport the accused back to the
original county.
Most of the qualifications, powers and duties of a sheriff in
Georgia are detailed in Title 15, Chapter 16 of state law. Among
other things, the law states that "the sheriff is the basic law
enforcement officer of the several counties of this state." Section
10 makes it clear that the sheriff has as much authority within
municipalities as he does in unincorporated areas of his county,
although many sheriffs refrain from performing standard
law-enforcement functions within municipalities that have their own
police department unless specifically requested to do so, or are
required to do so in order to fulfill other provisions in state
law.
In addition to law enforcement, sheriffs or their deputies execute
and return all processes and orders of the courts; receive,
transport, and maintain custody of incarcerated individuals for
court; attend the place or places of holding elections; keep all
courthouses, jails, public grounds, and other county property;
maintain a register of all precious-metal dealers; enforce the
collection of taxes that may be due to the state; as well as
numerous other duties.
The office of Sheriff in Georgia existed in colonial times, and was
included in the first official constitution of Georgia in 1777.
There is no limit to how many terms a sheriff may serve. Title 15,
Chapter 16, Section 40 of Georgia law specifies that, upon reaching
75 years of age, a sheriff who has held that office for 45 or more
years automatically holds the honorary office of sheriff emeritus
of the State of Georgia.
In metropolitan counties the sheriff's responsibilities have
changed from that of being the sole law enforcement official for
their counties, to performing only traditional court-related
functions but with wide-ranging duties in coordination with a
county police department in the suburbs of the state capital and
major cities. When these county police departments were formed they
assumed patrol, investigative, crime fighting, and transportation
safety responsibilities.
Hawaii
Hawaii has two sheriffs:
- The Office of Sheriff falls under the Sheriff's
Division of the Hawaii Department of Public
Safety. It is the functional equivalent of a state police department and has the distinction
of making Hawaii the only U.S. state
without an officially named state police department and one of two
with a statewide Sheriff's Department (the other being Rhode
Island). Although the Sheriff Division's jurisdiction
covers the entire state, its primary functions are judicial and
executive protection, security at the Hawaii State
Capitol
, law enforcement at Hawaii's airports, narcotics enforcement, prisoner
transportation, the processing and service of court orders and
warrants, and the patrol of certain roads and waterways in
conjunction with other state agencies.
- The
Sheriff of Kalawao
County, Hawaii
, located on the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the north coast
of the island of Moloka'i
, is selected from among the 147 local residents
(147 total population per the 2000 United States Census), by the
Hawaii Department of
Health, which administers the county. The sheriff is the
sole county government employee.
Idaho
Illinois
In Illinois, the sheriff is the highest law enforcement authority
in each county; however, incorporated
municipalities, regardless of their sizes,
are responsible for primary law enforcement within their
jurisdiction. Therefore, the sheriffs' departments generally
concentrate their police functions on unincorporated areas. In
addition, many small municipalities pay the sheriff's department a
portion of their law enforcement funds for the sheriff to act as
their primary law enforcement: usually either overnight, which
allows the local police department to operate with local officers
during the day; or full-time, relieving the village of needing its
own police department.
In addition to providing policing, the sheriff's department
controls the
county jail, guards the
courthouse, acts as the
process server for court documents such
as
summonses, and oversees
evictions, even inside municipalities with their
own police forces.
Cook County
The
Cook
County
Sheriff's Office is the second largest in the
United States, with over 6,900 members. Due to its size, the
Cook County Sheriff's Office divides its operations by task into 8
departments, the most recognizable of which is the Cook County
Sheriff's Court Services Department. The much smaller Cook County
Sheriff 's Police Department provides traditional police services
in Unincorporated Cook County while the Department of Corrections
staffs the Cook County Department of Corrections.
All Cook County Sheriff's Police Officers are Cook County Sheriff's
deputies, but not all Cook County Sheriff's deputies are Sheriff's
Police Officers. Police Officer is a job function and title within
the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department. It should be noted;
that, all Cook County Sheriff's Deputies have Police Powers
regardless of their particular job function or title.
Like other sheriffs'
departments in Illinois, the Sheriff's Police can provide all
traditional law-enforcement functions, including county-wide patrol
and investigations irrespective of municipal boundaries, even in
the city of Chicago
, but has traditionally limited its police patrol
functions to unincorporated areas of the county because
unincorporated areas are the primary jurisdiction of a Sheriff's
Department in Illinois.
The
Sheriff's Police patrol services are often not required in
incorporated cities because the cities such as Chicago
have established their own police
departments. The 500-600 member Sheriff's Police
Department would not have the personnel necessary to supply full
police services to all incorporated areas in Cook County especially
in a municipality such as Chicago
.
Sheriff's deputies, outside the Sheriff's Police, provide the other
services of the sheriff, such as guarding the various courthouses
in Cook County, running and guarding the 9,800-detainee Cook County
Jail, and overseeing other offender rehabilitation programs.
Indiana
In
Indiana
, county sheriffs are elected to office and limited
by the state constitution to serving no more than two four-year
terms consecutively. Indiana sheriffs are empowered to make
arrests of persons who commit an offense within the sheriff's view,
and take them before a court of the county having jurisdiction, and
detain them in custody until the cause of the arrest has been
investigated. They possess a general power to suppress breaches of
the peace, calling the
power of the county to the
sheriff's aid if necessary; pursue and jail felons; serve and
execute judicial process; attend and preserve order in all courts
of the county; take care of the county jail and the prisoners
there; take photographs, fingerprints, and other identification
data as the sheriff shall prescribe of persons taken into custody
for felonies or misdemeanors. They are required to provide an
accounting to the state department of correction concerning the
costs of incarcerating prisoners in the county.
Somewhat unusual among the states, Indiana sheriffs are paid a
salary out of which they must feed the
prisoners in the county jails in their charge. They must account
for the money they spend on prisoner's food; many counties'
agreement with the sheriff's department allows the elected sheriff
to keep the remaining funds allocated, which is contrary to state
law. As a result, in many Indiana counties, the position of sheriff
is one of the more lucrative of the elected officials, and the
elections for sheriff are frequently hotly contested and draw
larger numbers of candidates than most other county elective
positions.
Indiana Sheriffs may also appoint Special Deputies to act as
private
security police for
businesses.
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Sheriffs
in Kentucky
are elected for four-year terms and are not term
limited. Kentucky Sheriffs are the chief law-enforcement
officers in their county. Sheriff's departments in Kentucky have
full police powers in all areas of their particular county,
including incorporated cities. In most cases, however, they will
patrol in cities only when requested by the mayor and/or the chief
of police, or in the case of a major emergency. Deputies will
jointly patrol unincorporated areas of their county with the
Kentucky State Police, who
have full statewide police authority. In addition, sheriffs in
Kentucky are responsible for court security, serving court papers
and transporting prisoners. They are also responsible for
collecting taxes on real estate and tangible property.
One of the main differences between Kentucky sheriffs and sheriffs
in other states is that Kentucky sheriffs do not run the county
jails. County jails are run by a separate elected officer called a
jailer who has the authority to employ deputy jailers. The
sheriff's office, however, may be asked by the jailer to assist
with jail security in the event of an emergency.
Deputy
sheriffs, like municipal police officers, must be trained and
certified as peace officers through the Kentucky Justice and Public
Safety Cabinet Law Enforcement Training Center at Eastern
Kentucky University
in Richmond
, unless they have previously completed another
recognized police academy. To maintain certification, all
certified peace officers must complete forty hours of in-service
training annually. Sheriffs themselves, however, are not mandated
to be trained and certified as the job requirements for sheriff are
described in the
Kentucky
Constitution, rather than the
Kentucky Revised Statutes. Many
sheriffs, however, do choose to receive this training if they had
not received it as a law enforcement officer with another agency
prior to their election.
Louisiana
The
Louisiana
constitution establishes the office of sheriff in
each parish, except Orleans Parish which has two sheriffs, each
elected to a term of four years (Const. Art. V, §27). The
sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the parish and has
both criminal and civil jurisdiction. The sheriff is in charge of
all criminal investigations and is responsible for executing court
orders and process. The sheriff is the collector of
ad valorem taxes and other taxes and license
fees as provided by law and is the keeper of the public jail in the
parish. Article V, Section 32 provides for the offices of civil
sheriff and criminal sheriff in Orleans Parish.
State &
Local Government in Louisiana, Chapter 3
Local
Government, Part. II. Constitutional Offices.
Orleans Parish
Orleans
Parish
currently has two sheriffs:
- The Criminal Sheriff, operates Orleans Parish Prison;
and performs security, serves process, and performs enforcement
functions for the Criminal District Court. Deputies are
state-commissioned peace officers and are empowered to enforce all
the laws of the state and ordinances of the parish. In addition,
the Criminal Sheriff operates a Search & Rescue unit for
maritime operations, as part of the Special Operations
Division.
- The Civil Sheriff, under Louisiana Revised
Statute 13:1311, "...and the constables of the First and Second
City Courts of New Orleans and their deputies, are hereby granted
the powers of peace officers when carrying out the duties of the
court, and are authorized to require incarceration of the subject
involved in any of the city, parish or state prisons, precinct
stations, or houses of detention in the parish of Orleans. They
shall be exempt from liability for their actions in the exercise of
this power in the same manner and fashion as liability is excluded
generally for peace officers of this state and political
subdivisions."
Under Louisiana Revised Statute 33:1500, Orleans Parish criminal
and civil sheriffs' offices will be merged into one office by 2010
as a result of legislation passed to merge the Criminal and Civil
Courts into one consolidated district court, as in all other
Louisiana parishes.
Maine
Maryland
In
Maryland
, per the State Constitution, each county shall have
an elected sheriff that serves a term of four years with all deputy
sheriff's required to be sworn law enforcement officials with full
arrest authority by the state's governing agency, the Maryland
Police and Correctional Training Commission. In all
counties (except for Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City,
Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's), the County Sheriff is the
primary law enforcement agency charged with investigating crimes,
enforcing traffic laws, enforcing orders of the court, and
transporting, housing, and controlling the county jail inmate
population.
In
Anne Arundel
County
, Baltimore County,
Baltimore
City
, Howard County
, and Montgomery County
the Sheriff's Office still retains its law
enforcement authority in all areas, however, their duties are
strictly limited to enforcing orders of the court except in rare
instances where called upon by the County
Police or other law enforcement to assist. In Prince
George's County
, the Sheriff's Office and the County Police share
the responsibility of county law enforcement. The
Prince George's County Police
still enforce the vast majority of crimes and traffic laws. Along
with the traditional duties of enforcing all orders of the court,
the
Prince
George's County Sheriff's Office responds to all domestic calls
for service within the county's District III, is in place at all
county high schools, is a part of the Homeland Security Task Force,
and the FBI Task Force. Within Maryland, the size of each county's
Sheriff's Office varies greatly from forces of approximately 30
sworn to well over 300 in the more populated counties.
Massachusetts
Most
Massachusetts
counties currently exist only as geographic
regions, and have no county government. All former county
functions were assumed by state agencies in the late 1990s-early
2000. Each county still elects their own sheriff to a 6 year term.
The duties of the office of the Sheriff are essentially limited to
Corrections and process serving, and include no general law
enforcement or patrol function (Restricted service). Policing in
the Commonwealth is provided at the (local) town or city level, and
in some rural cases, by the Massachusetts State Police. Some
Sherff's Departments maintain volunteer traffic divisions and
assist with crowd control and traffic direction during public
events, in a function similar to Auxiliary Police, but in general
Sheriffs no longer have the same broad (Chapter 90) vehicle
enforcement powers that regular police enjoy (for example, they are
not issued Massachusetts Uniform Citation books and cannot issue
traffic tickets). Although they do not perform public safety or
patrol functions, Sheriffs do still maintain most of their general
statutory arrest powers in the Commonwealth's constitution. As
such, it is a common practice to have Campus Police officers at
private universities sworn as Deputy Sheriffs in their respective
counties, so as to grant them more broad arrest powers outside of
their immediate campus property.
Michigan
In
Michigan
, sheriffs are constitutionally mandated, elected
county officials. All sheriff's offices have general law
enforcement powers throughout their entire county, as well as
traditional judicial-process, court-protection (
bailiff) and jail-operation powers. Sheriff's
offices may primarily patrol areas of their county without
municipal police services; however, they are free to patrol
anywhere in their county, including
cities,
villages and
charter townships that have their own
police services. Occasionally, this results in conflict over
jurisdiction between municipal police agencies and sheriff's
offices.
In some
counties (primarily urban counties such as Oakland
, Macomb
, Wayne
, Genesee
, Saginaw
, Bay
, Midland
and Washtenaw
), sheriff's offices provide dedicated police
services under contract to some municipalities, in lieu of those
municipalities providing their own police services.
(Michigan law provides for or requires municipalities, depending
upon their structure, to provide dedicated police services.)
The sheriffs of all 83 Michigan counties are members of the
Michigan Sheriffs' Association. This professional organization,
formed in 1877, promulgates standardized insignias that are used,
to varying degrees, by all Michigan sheriff's offices on their
uniforms and vehicles.
Notably, the
Michigan State
Police have general law-enforcement powers throughout the
entire state. Thus, all Michigan residents have at least two levels
of general police services (state police and sheriff's offices),
while residents of a municipality that has its own police service
have a third level of general police service.
Michigan law mandates the county sheriff be responsible for
execution of all civil judgments by the circuit court, be primary
law enforcement of all inland lakes via a marine division and run
the county jail. The law also mandates the sheriff's "office" be
established in the county seat.
Currently the
Oakland County Sheriff's
Department is the largest full service sheriff's department in
the state.
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
All
Nebraska
counties have sheriff's offices responsible for
general law-enforcement functions in areas other than those covered
by local city police departments. In larger cities such
as Omaha
or
Lincoln
, sheriff's offices perform mainly judicial duties
such as serving warrants and providing
courtroom security. Sheriff's deputies in Nebraska are
certified by the state law-enforcement commission and have full
arrest powers.
Nebraska State Troopers are
sworn state deputy sheriffs and are authorized to perform police
services in all of Nebraska's 93 counties. (See the
Nebraska State Patrol website.)
Nevada
There are 16 sheriff's departments in Nevada, and two of them are
unique, as the
Carson City
Sheriff's Office is a result of the 1967 merger of the old
Carson City Police
Department and the
Ormsby County Sheriff's
Department, as well as the
Las Vegas Metropolitan
Police Department is the result of the 1975 merger of the
Clark County Sheriff's
Office and the old
Las Vegas Police
Department.
New Hampshire
The
New
Hampshire
position
of High Sheriff dates back to
pre-Revolutionary War days. Today, there are 10 counties and
10 High Sheriffs in New Hampshire. The ten sheriffs are the highest
ranking and most powerful uniformed law-enforcement officers in the
state. The state constitution gives the sheriff of each county full
law-enforcement authority throughout the county. In 1911, this
authority was expanded by the state legislature to include the
entire state. Sheriffs are elected to two-year terms without term
limits. The sheriff is responsible for patrol duties, civil
process, transport of prisoners, and criminal and civil warrants.
Most county sheriff's offices provide dispatch service for many of
the county's communities. Sheriffs are also responsible for the
security in all the county courthouses throughout the state.
Finally, sheriff are responsible for the prisoners in the local
district courts throughout the state.
New Jersey
Sheriffs
in New
Jersey
are sworn law-enforcement officers with full arrest
powers. They also serve writs and other legal process and
perform court-security functions. In some counties, responsibility
for the county jail rests with the sheriff's office; in other
counties, this responsibility rests with a separate corrections
department. In most counties, the police functions provided by the
sheriff's office are limited to patrolling county property such as
parks, courts, county facilities, and roads; plus, providing
specialized units and support to local police, e.g.,
bomb squads, emergency response (
SWAT) and investigative units. It should also be noted
that the Essex County Sheriff's Bureau of Narcotics is the second
oldest Narcotics Unit in the State of New Jersey. This Unit is
featured in the film
American Gangster which stars
Denzel Washington and
Russell Crowe.
The Essex County
Sheriff also holds the unique title of the
Office of Emergency Management, and serves the most populated area
in the State, as well as the City of Newark
, which is New Jersey's largest city.
Note:
Both Bergen
County
and Union County
also have separate county-wide police forces,
which fulfills many of the police functions provided by sheriff's
offices in other counties.
Essentially, all areas of New Jersey are incorporated
municipalities and the vast majority have their own local police
agencies that provide general law enforcement. The
New Jersey State Police provides
primary law enforcement in only a few rural areas in Southern and
North Western NJ that lack local police.
New Mexico
New York
Like most
other states, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs in the State of New York
are regular law-enforcement officers with full
police powers and duties such as patrol work, prisoner transport,
civil process, and court security.
Many sheriffs' offices in New York State also have
canine, marine, aviation and
SWAT units, as well as various other specialized units.
In N.Y., the Undersheriff is often the Warden of the county
jail.
Until recently, most sheriff's officers wore a standardized uniform
(black pants and shirt with dark gray straw
Stetson hat in the summer and a black felt Stetson
hat in the winter with a black Class A jacket for the dress uniform
and a black leather jacket for the winter) and all patrol vehicles
were marked in the same manner (white with red stripes, etc.).
Several counties have moved away from these practices. Patrol cars
in these counties have different vehicle markings, and deputy
sheriffs wear different uniforms.
Some examples are Ulster
County
, which has dark gray uniforms similar to the
New York State Police; and Warren County
, whose deputy sheriffs wear tan shirts with
dark brown pants. In Suffolk County
, the sheriff vehicles are black and white
(similar to the police/sheriff vehicle scheme used in
California). In New York City
, deputy sheriffs wear a navy blue shirt, navy blue
pants, and a 8-point hat when in patrol uniform, and wear a navy
blue shirt, navy blue pants, a navy blue serge jacket, and a navy
blue stetson when in Class A uniform. New sheriff vehicles
are white with light blue decals (similar to the police vehicle
scheme used by the
NYPD).
Ontario
County
Sheriff's deputies wear the traditional
uniform; black pants, black shirt with brass buttons, and a black
stetson.
Currently there are 57 county sheriff's offices, and one city
sheriff's office, (see below) which covers the five boroughs
(counties) of New York City.
The largest sheriff's office in New York
State is the Suffolk County Sheriff's
Office
with around 275 deputy sheriffs and 850 correction
officers, followed by the Nassau County
Sheriff's Department with around 49 deputy sheriffs and 1,000
correction officers.
Sheriffs in New York State (outside of New York City, Nassau and
Westchester Counties) are elected for three or four-year terms,
depending on the vote of the county government, specifically the
county legislature. The Sheriff of New York City is appointed by
the mayor (see below) and the Sheriffs of Nassau County and
Westchester County are appointed by the county executives of those
respective counties.
New York City
The
City of New
York
, although it comprises five counties, currently has a
single Sheriff's
Office. Under a sheriff appointed by the
mayor, the New York City Sheriff's
Office serves the entire city and acts primarily as the enforcer of
civil judgments won by the city against people and businesses,
though deputy sheriffs retain their status as
peace officers and therefore law enforcement
officers. The placement of the sheriff's office under the city's
Department of Finance, which is responsible for collecting taxes
and fines, indicates the most common activities of the New York
City Sheriff's Office. Other traditional sheriff's functions are
handled by other professional departments of the city (the
New York City Police
Department oversees law enforcement; the
Department of
Corrections manages the city's jails; the Office of the Medical
Examiner handles the coroner functions;
Court Officers handle security
for the courts themselves and in lock-ups within court buildings;
and so on).
The sheriff or his deputies serve processes and writs; handle
evictions from city apartments or buildings seized for nonpayment
of taxes; serve
mental hygiene and
family court warrants to take persons
into custody for committal or guardianship; enforce traffic and
parking laws, particularly in seizing automobiles the owners of
which have failed to pay parking fines; and conducting sheriff's
sales of real estate and personal property seized.
The Administrative Division controls the five county divisions
(each corresponding to a
borough). The department also has
five
Undersheriffs, one per
borough, approximately 150 deputy
sheriffs, and non sworn clerical staff.
There are currently about 150 deputy sheriffs employed by the New
York City Sheriff's Office. Deputies have full peace officer powers
and are allowed to carry firearms on and off duty (as per the New
York State Penal Code).
The sheriff is not to be confused with
City
Marshal, who are licensed by the city as private businessmen to
be hired by people and businesses to enforce their own civil
judgments. For instance, while the sheriff seizes land or cars for
nonpayment of taxes or fines, the marshals may be hired by private
owners to evict tenants or seize property as a result of a default
on a loan.
North Carolina
The
office of sheriff is constitutionally mandated in North
Carolina
. It
is an elected law enforcement office.
The sheriff has duties in all three branches of law enforcement:
Policing, Courts/Criminal Justice and Corrections/Jail. The Office
of the Sheriff is the primary law enforcement agency for the
unincorporated areas of North Carolina's counties. The Sheriff, as
the County's chief law enforcement officer, has jurisdiction
anywhere in the County, including municipalities, where the
Sheriff's Office provides assistance and support to local law
enforcement agencies.
Law enforcement duties of this Office include patrolling the
counties, preventing crime, investigating violations of the law,
and apprehending law violators. In addition, support services, such
as communications, evidence, and property control services are
provided. The Sheriff is also responsible for keeping and
maintaining the common jail of the county, which currently consists
of separate detention facilities at the County Public Safety
Centers and the Detention Annex if required by the counties. The
Office is responsible for transporting prisoners for court
appearances.
In the area of judicial services, the Office of the Sheriff serves
as the enforcement arm of the
North Carolina General
Court of Justice. The Office serves civil and criminal
processes issued by the courts, which often includes arresting
persons and bringing them before the courts, as well as the seizure
and sale of personal and real property to satisfy court judgments.
The Sheriff is responsible for courtroom security in the District
and Superior courtrooms in the county.
Other miscellaneous duties of the Office mandated by the State
include pistol purchase permits, concealed handgun permits, parade
and picketing permits, and maintaining registries of sexual
offenders and domestic violators.
In North Carolina, the sheriff is elected to a 4-year term. A
county sheriff is responsible not to county authorities but to the
citizens of the county. County governments are responsible for
providing funding to the Sheriff's Office.
Exceptions
Exceptions to the County Sheriff in North Carolina are that of two
of North Carolina's Counties,Gaston and Mecklenburg.
[581416] These Counties have a police force for the
whole county, as well as a Sheriff Department that is responsible
for the jails.
[581417]
In
Gaston County, the
Gaston County Police is responsible for
county-wide police services for the incorporated and unincorporated
areas of the county, while overlapping with City and Township
police. The Gaston County Sheriffs Department is responsible for
the jails and the court system in Gastonia, the county
seat.
[581418]
In
Charlotte, the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police
are responsible for the incorporated areas of Charlotte, and the
unincorporated areas of the county. While the Sheriffs Department
is responsible for the jails in the northern end of the County, the
southern end is controlled by CMPD.
[581419]
North Dakota
Ohio
Until
Ohio
achieved statehood in 1803, the position of Sheriff
was filled through appointments made at the pleasure of the
Territorial Governor, Arthur St.
Clair. The first Sheriff on the record in Ohio was
Colonel Ebenezer Sproat. At the time he was appointed in 1788,
Colonel Sproat's jurisdiction covered all of Washington County.
This enormous area of land included all of eastern Ohio from the
Ohio River to Lake Erie.
After statehood, only three public offices in Ohio were filled via
the electoral-process system. The position of Sheriff was one of
them. Through this new system, William Skinner became the first
elected Sheriff in the Buckeye State. Since the early 1800s, Ohio
sheriffs have been elected on the county level by the people they
serve. The term of office for county sheriffs in Ohio is four
years.
In each of the 88 counties of Ohio, the sheriff is the chief
law-enforcement officer. His primary duties are to provide common
pleas court services and corrections on a countywide basis, and
full police protection to the unincorporated areas of the county.
However, he also maintains full police jurisdiction in all
municipalities, townships, and villages. In an effort to become
consistent on a statewide level, Ohio sheriffs and deputies wear a
standardized uniform, and all patrol vehicles are marked in the
same manner.
Within Ohio, sheriff's offices have probably one of the most
extensive sets of responsibilities to those they serve. By statute
they must provide the following: line law enforcement; court
security and service of papers; jail operations; extradition
process; and transportation of prisoners.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
's Sheriffs, whose
primary role is as an officer of
the court, provide full services, that is, providing tradition
law-enforcement functions such as countywide patrol and
investigations. As the chief peace officer of each of
Oklahoma's 77 counties, the Sheriffs serve and execute all process,
writs, precepts and orders issued or made by lawful authorities,
namely the courts. The Sheriff's office also provides security for
judges and courthouses. The Sheriffs are in charge of and have
custody over the jail of their county, and all the prisoners in the
jail are under the Sheriff's supervision, with the Sheriff serving
as the county's jailer.
Under their law-enforcement responsibilities, the Sheriffs are
responsible for ensuring that the peace is preserved,
riots are suppressed, and that unlawful assemblies and
insurrections are controlled throughout
their county. To ensure justice is administered, the Sheriff is
empowered to apprehend any person charged with a felony or breach
of the peace and may attend any court within the county. The
Sheriffs are also
empowered to
conscript any person or persons of their county
that they may deem necessary to fulfill their duties.
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
sheriffs may have all the traditional sheriff
powers, but in practice perform only traditional court-related
functions since the establishment of the Pennsylvania State Police in
1905. The status of Pennsylvania's county sheriffs was in a
legal gray area for many years. While sheriffs routinely provided
court security, prisoner transport, and civil process services, it
was unclear whether they had actual law-enforcement powers. In the
1970s through the early 1990s, a number of defendants charged by
deputy sheriffs with crimes attempted to
suppress the results of their arrests on the basis that the
deputies were not
bona fide law-enforcement officers. In
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vs. Leet, a 1991 decision by
the Pennsylvania Superior Court, a 2–1 majority of the Court held
that deputy sheriffs had no law-enforcement powers.
That decision was
reversed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
in a 1994 decision by Justice John P.
Flaherty, which held that sheriffs do indeed have the power to
enforce motor-vehicle laws. In his majority opinion, Justice
Flaherty spent a great deal of time exploring the historical roots
of the office of Sheriff and concluded that the powers developed as
a matter of common law:
Presently, every Pennsylvania county has a Sheriff's Office.
This has
led to some overlap in places such as Allegheny
County
, where the Allegheny County Police is responsible for supporting
local law-enforcement and patrolling county-owned property,
including the Pittsburgh International
Airport
. Similarly, the
Delaware
County Courthouse and Park Police Department provides
security police functions. With the newly
expanded powers of the
County
Sheriff, however, this has led to some power struggles.
Philadelphia County
As part
of the City of
Philadelphia
, the Sheriff is elected for a four year term and
provides basic court related services such as transporting
prisoners, providing courthouse security and other duties with
regard to service of process and summonses that are issued by
county and state courts. The sheriff also often conducts
auction sales of real property in foreclosure in many
jurisdictions, and is often also empowered to conduct seizures of
personal property (chattel) to
satisfy a judgment.
The Philadelphia
Sheriff's Department has made clear its intent
to carry out community law-enforcement while continuing its
statutory duties.
Rhode Island
The Rhode Island State Sheriff's Department is a statewide law
enforcement agency under the Department of Administration.
The
Rhode
Island
Division of the State Sheriff is a state executive
office with an Executive High Sheriff responsible for State Sheriff
operations and 3 county sheriffs responsible for County
duties. Rhode Island counties provide only judicial
functions. Currently there are 196 sworn and civilian personnel
under the command of the State's Executive High Sheriff, Colonel
Gary P. Dias.
The Rhode Island State Sheriff's Department comprises one hundred,
ninety-six men and women who are assigned to various job functions
within Rhode Island's four County Court facilities: Providence
County, Kent County, Newport County and Washington County. Note
that the court facility in Bristol County was closed in 2002. They
also serve at the Inmate Custody, Control and Transportation Unit
in Cranston.
The functions of the Department include Courtroom and Judicial
Security, Court Facility and Cellblock Operations, Inmate
Transportation, Interstate Extraditions and Interstate Inmate
Transfers, Writ Services, Body Attachments, Fugitive Apprehension,
Narcotics Interdiction,
Search and
Rescue, and Special Operations.
The Executive
High Sheriff is
responsible for the overall administration of the Department. He
works with a command staff consisting of a Major, the three County
Sheriffs, Chiefs Deputy Sheriff, Captains, Lieutenants and
Sergeants. Kent, Newport and Washington Counties each have a County
Sheriff who are charged with the responsibility of supervising
their respective county court facility and all assigned
personnel.
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
The
Tennessee Constitution requires each county to elect a
sheriff to a four-year term. In all Tennessee counties except one,
the sheriff is an official with full police powers, usually
county-wide, although Tennessee sheriffs and their deputies
generally perform the patrol portion of their duties primarily in
unincorporated areas of their counties if the municipalities have
their own police departments.
The exception to the rule is Davidson
County
. In Davidson County, the sheriff has the
primary responsibility of serving civil process and jail functions
without the
common law powers to keep the
peace. Protection of the peace is instead the responsibility of the
Metropolitan
Nashville Police Department under the county's
Metropolitan Charter. The
Metropolitan Charter did not remove the Davidson County Sheriff's
status as a Law Enforcement officer however. It is simply not his
or her primary function as it was prior to the consolidation of the
City of Nashville and Davidson County.
The current Sheriff of Davidson County, Daron Hall, is still
elected as is every other sheriff in the state, has recently added
a new law enforcement division to his department. The division is
called
I.C.E. which deals with immigration
issues.
Texas
The
Texas Constitution (Article 5, Section 23) provides
for the election of a Sheriff in each one of the 254 counties.
Currently, the term of office for Texas Sheriffs is four years.
However, when vacancies arise, the commissioners court of the
respective county will appoint a replacement to serve out the
remaining term.
In Texas, Sheriffs and their deputies are fully empowered peace
officers with county-wide jurisdiction and thus, may legally
exercise their authority in unincorporated and incorporated areas
of a county. However, they primarily provide law enforcement
services for only the unincorporated areas of a county and do not
normally patrol in incorporated cities which have their own police
agency. All peace officers in Texas, whether Sheriffs, city Police,
State Troopers, Constables, or Marshals, have state-wide arrest
powers for any criminal offense committed within their presence or
view.
The duties of a Texas Sheriff generally include providing law
enforcement services to residents, managing the county jail,
providing bailiffs for the county and district courts within the
county, and in some cases serving process issued therefrom (the
office of the constable is responsible for most civil
process).
The
Harris County
Sheriff's Office is the largest sheriff’s office in Texas, with
a sworn employee count of 2,537 in 2005. In 2000, 60% of deputies
were assigned to jail operations, 26% to patrol, 12% to
investigations, and 1% to process serving.
The smallest sheriff's office in Texas is in Loving County, with a
sheriff and two deputies, due to its very small population
(approximately 67 residents).
Utah
Vermont
Vermont sheriff responsibilities include furnishing security for
the county Superior Court and Vermont District Court located in
their county, serving civil and criminal papers, transportation of
prisoners, patrolling towns, motor vehicle and snowmobile
enforcement, and furnishing security for special events.
Virginia
The position of sheriff is established by the Virginia
Constitution, with the sheriff and his deputies having both civil
and concurrent criminal jurisdiction countywide. Sheriffs terms are
for four years and are not term limited. A sheriff is the chief law
enforcement officer of a county or any area that does not have an
established police department. In such areas, the Chief of Police
is the highest ranking officer, such as in incorporated towns or
cities.
Virginia is unique in that all cities are independent jurisdictions
and are completely separate from any county. Thus, most cities
(with few exceptions such as Poquoson and Franklin) have elected
sheriffs, most of which focus on court and jail operations. By law,
sheriffs can enforce all the laws of the Commonwealth in the
jurisdiction they serve. Some city sheriffs (such as Portsmouth)
also work alongside the city police in responding to calls and
enforcing traffic violations.
In cities such as Poquoson and Franklin, these cities grew out of a
county and still use that county's sheriff for civil process and
court services. Those sheriff's offices still have concurrent
jurisdiction in those cities but do not generally exercise them,
allowing the city police to handle criminal/traffic matters.
All sheriffs are responsible for civil process, jails, serving
levies and holding sheriff's sales to satisfy judgements.
Since 1983, when the General Assembly passed legislation allowing
counties to establish police departments by referendum, only seven
counties have done so. In most of those counties, such as Henrico
and Chesterfield, the sheriffs offices exercise criminal
enforcement authority sharing it with the county police, but
generally let the county police investigate most crime.
The city of Williamsburg incorporated as a city from James City
County in 1699. Prior to 1983, the sheriff's office handled all
police functions for James City County while a sheriff performed
court/jail functions for Williamsburg. When James City County
established its county police department, that department operated
under the county sheriff for two years before becoming a separate
agency. Williamsburg's sheriff's office comprised only 8 personnel,
it eventually merged with the county's sheriff's office to form the
Williamsburg-James City County Sheriff's office.
In the early 1990s the General Assembly mandated the uniforms for
all sheriffs as being dark brown shirts with tan pants that have a
brown stripe. Sheriff's office vehicles were to be dark brown with
a five point star on the front doors and "sheriff's office" on the
trunk. The five point star must have the jurisdiction's name in a
half circle on the star and "sheriff's office" in a half circle
under that.
In the early 2000s, legislation was passed to allow sheriffs to
purchase white vehicles (if agreed to by the city or county), and
allowing sheriffs' deputies to wear any color uniform the sheriff
chose. Sheriffs' vehicles still must have the star on the front
doors and markings on the trunk as before.
The Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with local police departments,
assist with controlling traffic, issuing traffic summonses, and
working with state and local law-enforcement agencies.
Additionally,
sheriff's deputies aid the county
police, the United States Marshals Service, and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation
in a joint fugitive
task force that provides apprehension and arrest of felons who
face current warrants. Sheriffs are also solely responsible
for executing detention orders for those who are ordered to receive
mental health care.
Deputy sheriffs are the only members of law enforcement that can be
dual-certified in civil process/courts and basic law enforcement.
There is no distinction made by title, all those who work for a
sheriff are Deputies. Police officers are prohibited from
performing civil process or court duties. All deputies and police
officers must meet state certification standards as set by DCJS
(Department of Criminal Justice Services).
In
Northern Virginia the sheriff's
responsibilities have changed from that of being the sole law
enforcement official for their counties, to performing only
traditional court-related functions but with wide-ranging duties in
coordination with a county police department in the suburbs of the
nation's capital. When these county police departments were formed
they assumed patrol, investigative, crime fighting, and
transportation safety responsibilities.
By law, sheriffs are not elected at the same time. County sheriffs
are sworn into office on even-numbered years; city sheriffs are
sworn into office on odd-numbered years. All deputies must be
re-sworn after each election. Sheriffs have complete authority to
hire and fire as they see fit; deputy sheriffs serve at the sole
pleasure of the sheriff. Sheriff's offices are completely funded by
the state, unless a county or city wishes to supplement with
funding. For example in
Northern
Virginia Sheriff's Offices are funded by a county or
city.
Washington
In
Washington
State, each sheriff of the thirty-nine counties is
an elected official serving a four-year term.
The voters of Pierce County voted to pass Charter Amendment 1 on
November 7 2006 to change the sheriff's position from appointed to
elected. The first sheriff's election in 30 years was held in
2008.
The sheriff is the chief law-enforcement officer of a county and is
empowered to enforce the criminal laws of the State of Washington
and the county their office represents, as well as to serve or
execute civil processes (such as court orders, evictions, property
foreclosures, tax warrants); to maintain county jails; to provide
courthouse security; and to provide general law enforcement in
unincorporated areas. In many cities, police services are
contracted to the sheriff's department in lieu of a city police
department.
West Virginia
In
West
Virginia
, the
sheriff of a given county performs two
distinct duties. They are the chief law-enforcement officers
in the county, although much of this duty is handled by their chief
deputies. They are also responsible for the collection of any taxes
due to the county. While many sheriffs have a background in
professional law enforcement, others are politicians or other local
notables. West Virginia sheriffs are limited to two consecutive
four-year terms.
Wisconsin
In
Wisconsin
, the sheriff and his deputies are responsible for
patrolling towns and villages not large enough to support their own
police department, and also aids local departments when required
and have to be vigilant at all times, but that's a given. On
Fridays, the local bakeries provide cupcakes in the morning to show
appreciation to their local sheriffs. Deputies are provided a
discount, but they still have to pay.
Wyoming
Famous American sheriffs
- Buford Pusser —
McNairy
County, Tennessee
portrayed in Walking
Tall, and in a suite of songs on Drive-By Truckers' 2004 album,
The Dirty
South.
- Joe Arpaio —
Maricopa
County, Arizona
(1994-present), famous for his stance on criminal
justice.
- Mike Brown -
Island
County, Washington
, reduced crime rate
- Pat Garrett —
Lincoln
County, New Mexico
, famous for killing Billy
the Kid.
- Bat Masterson — Ford County, Kansas
- Sherman Block — Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department(1982-2000), highest paid government
administrator in the United States.
- Lee Baca - Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department(2000-present), Block's successor; notable
for his alleged preferential treatment of celebrities Mel Gibson and Paris
Hilton.
- Dave Reichert —
King County,
Washington
, tracked the Green
River killer; elected to Congress in 2004.
- John Bunnell -
Former sheriff of Multnomah County, Oregon
; most famous for presenting/hosting
World's Wildest Police
Videos, appearances on COPS, and other acting
roles.
- Gerald Hege —
Davidson
County, North Carolina
, famous for his "no-deals" behavior and highly
unorthodox way of fighting crime.
- Grover
Cleveland — Erie County, New York
, the only sheriff ever to be elected President of the United
States.
- Mike Carona -
Orange County,
California
(1999-2009), dubbed "America's Sheriff" by Larry King
- William J. Brady - Sheriff of Lincoln County during
the Lincoln County Wars in New
Mexico, United States. He was killed in an ambush by Billy the Kid.
Fictional American sheriffs
Many
Western movies feature sheriffs
of
frontier towns who are either corrupt
weaklings or glorious heroes who eventually rid their towns of all
their mean elements. See
Destry
Rides Again and
Dodge City for two examples of
the latter type. Fictional sheriffs include:
- Sheriff Matt Dillon of Dodge City,
Kansas
, in the radio and television productions of
Gunsmoke
- Sheriff Andy Taylor of the The Andy Griffith Show,
- Buford T. Justice of the Smokey and the Bandit' films,
and
- Sheriff Rosco P.
Coltrane on the TV show
The Dukes of
Hazzard.
- Hildy Granger, played by Suzanne
Somers, in She's the
Sheriff,
- Elroy P. Lobo, played by Claude
Akins, in B.J. and the
Bear and the The Misadventures of Sheriff
Lobo,
- Roy Mobey, played by Victor
French, in Carter
Country,
- Don Lamb in Veronica Mars,
- Sheriff Jack
Carter in Eureka,
- Sheriff Harry S.
Truman in Twin Peaks
- Sheriff Walt Bannerman in
The Dead Zone.
- Sheriff Albert Earp, played by Jon
Pertwee, in the 1966 comedy film Carry On Cowboy
- Sheriff Wyner, played by George Wallace - The lazy sheriff
of Saucier in the movie Ladykillers.
- The
characters of Comedy Central's hit
show Reno 911! revolve around the scenario
of a mediocre(yet humorous) look at the fictional Reno, Nevada
Sheriff's Department(NOT the real-life Washoe County Sheriff's
Department), and the crazy deputies who serve the
area.
-
Sheriff Brackett from the Halloween films
- Sheriff Seth Bullock of the
HBO western drama Deadwood
Other important representations of fictional sheriffs have been
Collie Entragian (
Desperation and
The
Regulators),
Alan Pangborn in
The Dark Half and
Needful Things, and
Edgler Vess in
Dean
Koontz's novel,
Intensity.
50 Largest Sheriffs Departments in the U.S.
Department / Full-Time
Sworn Personnel 2004
- Los Angeles Co. (CA) 8,239
- Cook Co. (IL) 5,555
- Broward Co. (FL) 3,190
- Harris Co. (TX) 2,545
- Orange Co. (CA) 2,119
- Sacramento Co. (CA) 1,565
- San Bernardino Co. (CA) 1,542
- Riverside Co. (CA) 1,490
- Orange Co. (FL) 1,304
- San Diego Co. (CA) 1,261
- Palm Beach Co. (FL) 1,153
- Hillsborough Co. (FL) 1,151
- Alameda Co. (CA) 923
- Pinellas Co. (FL) 920
- Wayne Co. (MI) 900
- E. Baton Rouge Par. (LA) 890
- Oakland Co. (MI) 840
- Erie Co. (NY) 811
- San Francisco Co. (CA) 795
- Contra Costa Co. (CA) 759
- Maricopa Co. (AZ) 731
- Ventura Co. (CA) 729
- King Co. (WA) 700
- Manatee Co. (FL) 687
- Passaic Co. (NJ) 667
- Jefferson Parish (LA) 662
- Calcasieu Parish (LA) 642
- Fulton Co. (GA) 635
- Travis Co. (TX) 617
- Milwaukee Co. (WI) 605
- Collier Co. (FL) 598
- St. Tammany Parish (LA) 588
- Lee Co. (FL) 545
- Jefferson Co. (AL) 538
- Polk Co. (FL) 529
- Hamilton Co. (OH) 517
- Fairfax Co. (VA) 516
- Kern Co. (CA) 509
- Richmond Co. (GA) 501
- Shelby Co. (TN) 482
- Dallas Co. (TX) 476
- Rapides Parish (LA) 470
- Knox Co. (TN) 468
- Fresno Co. (CA) 464
- Brevard Co. (FL) 460
- Jefferson Co. (CO) 457
- Pima Co. (AZ) 455
- Tarrant Co. (TX) 452
- Franklin Co. (OH) 449
- Bexar Co. (TX) 444
See also
References