Explore county law enforcement, deputies, courts, jails, and rural patrol.
Sheriffs and deputies are important parts of county-level law enforcement in many parts of the United States. Their responsibilities vary greatly by state, but can include patrol, court security, serving legal papers, operating county jails, and investigations.
In many counties, the sheriff is an elected official.
Learn MoreDeputies perform many of the day-to-day duties of a sheriff's office.
Learn MoreSheriff's offices often patrol unincorporated areas outside city police boundaries.
Learn MoreSheriff's offices often have responsibilities connected to courts.
Learn MoreMany sheriff's offices operate local detention facilities.
Learn MoreSheriff fleets can include patrol cars, SUVs, transport vans, trucks, boats, and aircraft.
Learn MoreSheriffs are often chosen by voters, though laws vary by state. The sheriff usually leads the sheriff's office and is responsible for managing its personnel, budget, policies, and legal duties.
Deputies may work patrol, investigate crimes, transport prisoners, serve court documents, provide courthouse security, or work in detention facilities. Large sheriff's offices may have many specialized divisions.
Counties can contain cities, towns, rural communities, highways, farms, forests, and lakes. Deputies may cover very large areas, so SUVs and other versatile vehicles are common in many sheriff fleets.
Depending on local law, deputies may provide courthouse security, transport people in custody, serve subpoenas and other legal documents, and carry out certain court orders.
County jails commonly hold people awaiting court proceedings or serving shorter sentences. Jail operations are separate from street patrol, though both may be part of the same sheriff's office.
The exact fleet depends on the county. Rural areas may use more SUVs or trucks, while coastal or lake counties may operate marine units. Large metropolitan sheriff's offices can maintain fleets comparable in size and variety to major city police departments.