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Police
and
Sheriffs
and
Sheriffs
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What's the difference between being a police officer or a sheriff's
deputy?
Let's start from the beginning. The sheriffs have been the chief law
enforcement officers throughout the United States since the 17th
Century and long before the formation of professional police
departments. Today, the Sheriff continues to be the top law
enforcement officer in most jurisdictions. Theoretically, the Sheriff
could take over an investigation from a police department if he or she
wished since the Sheriff is an elected official in contrast to a police
chief, police commissioner or superintendent who are appointed to their
positions by mayors, city managers, or governors. I say theoretically,
because you won't see sheriffs interfering with police departments.
As a police officer anywhere in the country, your law enforcement
duties will be uniform and wide ranging; whereas, the duties of sheriffs'
deputies may be limited as to law enforcement activities...or their duties
may be identical to yours. For instance, you might be a police officer
with a county police force where sheriffs' deputies in your county are
responsible only for the security of court houses, prisoner transport, and
other general business of the court. Then, in the county bordering your
jurisdiction, that county has no police department, and its sheriffs'
deputies are responsible for all law enforcement activities to include
patrol and criminal investigations.
Nearly all densely populated cities and counties will have their own
police departments. As the population thins out, you'll see more
smaller agencies such as borough and township police departments. You
might be in a small township department where you're supported by
state police or sheriffs' deputies. In this scenario, the law enforcement
mission and duties of all are identical.
The way sheriffs' deputies differ in their law enforcement missions from
police officers is really all about politics. What mayor wouldn't prefer
having a police chief appointed by that mayor and serving at that
mayor's pleasure versus a sheriff elected in his or her own right. While
the mayor will have total control over the chief, the sheriff, God forbid,
could be of the opposite political party. When an elected sheriff has the
responsibility for all law enforcement duties within a jurisdiction, that
sheriff becomes a very powerful and politically influential sheriff.
I've linked you below to a history of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
Department. This is an example of a law enforcement agency labeled as
a police department and headed by an elected sheriff.
"On July 1, 1973 the Clark County Sheriff's Office and Las Vegas Police
Department were deactivated, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
Department became the official police force for Las Vegas and the
unincorporated areas of Clark County. Sheriff Ralph Lamb took over as
the LVMPD head, with John Moran, former LVPD Police Chief, as the
Undersheriff."
deputy?
Let's start from the beginning. The sheriffs have been the chief law
enforcement officers throughout the United States since the 17th
Century and long before the formation of professional police
departments. Today, the Sheriff continues to be the top law
enforcement officer in most jurisdictions. Theoretically, the Sheriff
could take over an investigation from a police department if he or she
wished since the Sheriff is an elected official in contrast to a police
chief, police commissioner or superintendent who are appointed to their
positions by mayors, city managers, or governors. I say theoretically,
because you won't see sheriffs interfering with police departments.
As a police officer anywhere in the country, your law enforcement
duties will be uniform and wide ranging; whereas, the duties of sheriffs'
deputies may be limited as to law enforcement activities...or their duties
may be identical to yours. For instance, you might be a police officer
with a county police force where sheriffs' deputies in your county are
responsible only for the security of court houses, prisoner transport, and
other general business of the court. Then, in the county bordering your
jurisdiction, that county has no police department, and its sheriffs'
deputies are responsible for all law enforcement activities to include
patrol and criminal investigations.
Nearly all densely populated cities and counties will have their own
police departments. As the population thins out, you'll see more
smaller agencies such as borough and township police departments. You
might be in a small township department where you're supported by
state police or sheriffs' deputies. In this scenario, the law enforcement
mission and duties of all are identical.
The way sheriffs' deputies differ in their law enforcement missions from
police officers is really all about politics. What mayor wouldn't prefer
having a police chief appointed by that mayor and serving at that
mayor's pleasure versus a sheriff elected in his or her own right. While
the mayor will have total control over the chief, the sheriff, God forbid,
could be of the opposite political party. When an elected sheriff has the
responsibility for all law enforcement duties within a jurisdiction, that
sheriff becomes a very powerful and politically influential sheriff.
I've linked you below to a history of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
Department. This is an example of a law enforcement agency labeled as
a police department and headed by an elected sheriff.
"On July 1, 1973 the Clark County Sheriff's Office and Las Vegas Police
Department were deactivated, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
Department became the official police force for Las Vegas and the
unincorporated areas of Clark County. Sheriff Ralph Lamb took over as
the LVMPD head, with John Moran, former LVPD Police Chief, as the
Undersheriff."
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