I always wondered what sheriffs are. they conjure up images of the Old West. do they have the same authority? are they voted, i've seen signs saying Vote for ........
2006-10-11 05:52:22 · 10 answers · asked by otitis_media75 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
people are saying they work for the county and not the city, but what about Los Angeles? they have a big Sheriff Dept.
2006-10-11 05:56:34 · update #1
A police department is funded and empowered by the city or municipality, the chief is appointed at the pleasure of the mayor and city council and is accountable to them. They have jurisdiction for misdemeanor violation within the city and enforce city enacted laws. They have jurisdiction throughout the state for felony violations committed in their presence.
A sheriff is elected and is accountable to the citizens who elected him/her and not the commissioners of the county. Hence he has more political power that a police chief. They are funded by the county. They have jurisdiction in all unincorporated areas of that county and some townships with agreements, It is the chief law enforcement agency for the county. They also work for the courts and have the authority to investigate the chief of police and his/her officers at the request of the District Attorney with just cause.
The Sheriff's department is investigated by the state attorney at the behest of the D.A., the D.A. is investigated by the State Attorney at the behest of any of the above for just cause.
The Sheriff has law enforcement power given to him by the people of the cities and unincorporated areas,
L.A. County has a vast area of unincorporated areas, therefore the department is not only huge, but more advanced that most small cities, therefore they help in complicated investigations,etc...etc...etc................
Hope this kind of helps!
2006-10-11 06:48:24 · answer #1 · answered by John H B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A sheriff's dept. is a County law enforcement agency. The Sheriff is an elected official. The have the same powers as any sworn officer. They also, generally, have additional responsibilities such as maintaining the county jail and court security. In Montana the Sheriff is the chief law enforcement office of the county. That means that all city departments in the county are subject to the sheriff's commands.
The LA Sheriff's department is a large agency since much of the area is not inside the city's jurisdiction.
A sheriff's deputy has jurisdiction even inside cities where a police office in limited by the city's boundary.
2006-10-11 08:36:26 · answer #2 · answered by Ranger473 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Typically in the midwest and western United States the sheriff is the top law enforcement official for an entire county. Oftentimes his jurisdictions includes small incorporated and unincorporated towns that might not be large enough to have their own police force. In most cases the sheriff is often responsible for running the local county jail, where offenders would serve sentences less then 2 years instead of serving time in the state prison.
It really depends on the state how much authority a sheriff has. In almost all cases it is an elected position. In some eastern states the county sheriff is only responsible for running the county jails and has no law enforcement power. The deputies under him act as guards for the jail and will also transport prisoners and serve warrants.
As you move west though the local sheriffs authority increases to actual law enforcement functions with his deputies going out on patrol. This is usually the case in rural counties where local towns do not have police of their own.
Even in some big cities there are sheriff's departments that supplement or even supercede the police in the large city. The LA County Sheriff provides deputies that cover all of LA county even though LA has its own police force. The sheriff department around Las Vegas is very similar.
2006-10-11 06:13:37 · answer #3 · answered by DAN 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
State Police patrol the whole state with out having to worry about cities borders
Local Police patrol only that city
Sheriffs patrol the county
So depending on the size of the city state and county then there will be a lot of area to cover and more officers
2006-10-11 07:39:33 · answer #4 · answered by Michael R 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Their respective duties vary by locality....however in most places the sheriffs handle civil judgements like orders of protection,evictions,etc...while police handle patrol and investigative duties ...they both have police powers and either may make arrests,write tickets,etc.There are exceptions though like nyc where the sheriff is a purely civil position and in other locales the sheriff dept. is the primary law enforcement agency in the area.
2006-10-11 06:52:24 · answer #5 · answered by baalberith11704 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in my state(georgia) sheriffs are elected and police cheifs are
selected. local sheriffs actually have jurisdiction over the
whole county. police officers cover a specific area within the city limits.
2006-10-11 06:57:42 · answer #6 · answered by matildamaeterry 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It to my understanding the sheriff is for the whole county,police just does the city
2006-10-11 05:55:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
While both may arrest someone and enforce the law, only the Sherrif can serve court orders and act as officers of the court.
2006-10-11 06:16:19 · answer #8 · answered by lothespiritalker 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the sherrif works the entire county and the police department works with in city limits...they also assist each other when needed..
2006-10-11 17:17:49 · answer #9 · answered by churchonthewayseniors 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Supreme has a stronger taste. I like Supreme =)
2016-03-28 05:05:03 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋