Difference between sheriff and Police in the state of PA?

Question

I know that the sheriff dept. deals with the courts and the county outside the city limits and the police deal with things inside the city limits, but whats the differece beyond that?( i.e. Training, dutys, firearms, etc.)

Answer 1

I believe this varies greatly by county. When I lived in PA, one county sheriff's department had only civil duties (serving civil records notices), court house security and charge of the jail. Some counties have patrol divisions, which perform the same duties as a municipal officer, only with a much larger area of responsibility.

Answer 2

With the growth of the population and legal requirements for officer "certification" there is very little difference in anything concerning the different type agencies.

I disagree with Mark T in that the county officer "sees less detective work" etc.

I am a narcotics detective for a county law enforcement agency. I have more area to cover in my duties and stay extremely busy with my job.

Because many county agencies don't have the same tax base as their larger city counterparts, manning is often lower than that of the city. As such, I've been "pulled" to assist the general crimes detectives to process other than drug related crime scenes. So the county does stay busy.

In county agencies, hopefully substantial manpower exists within the jail unit to allow for jail staff to transport their prisoners, however, that's not always the case.

All law enforcement officers are required to meet a minimum standard for hiring, training, certification, and reoccurring training.

Weapons, vehicles, and essentials are basically the same provided the financial resources are available.

Hope this helps...best wishes.

Answer 3

Unlike many states that have both incorporated and unincorporated areas, all parts of the state of Pennsylvania are incorporated into municipalities… either cities, boroughs, townships, and (I think) one town. Many of these municipalities have their own Police Departments or Regional Police Departments with neighboring municipalities. Those that do not are patrolled by the State Police. This is why the PA State Police is one of the largest State Police agencies in the country.

The County Sheriff handles only court issues. I believe that this distinction is by custom – not statute – but I’m not sure.

Answer 4

Sheriff's deputies and city cops have the same qualifications and undergo the same academy training. Deputies tend to see less detective-style work and more scut-work like serving court orders and moving prisoners.