People often use the terms’ police department’ and ‘Sheriff offices’ interchangeably. However, there is a difference between these two types of law enforcement agencies. Although both police officers and Sheriff deputies are trained at the same law enforcement academies, there are a few differences between the two.
Police Departments
The first official police department established in the United States was the Boston Police Department (BPD). This prominent law enforcement agency was established in 1838. Not long after BPD, the New York City Police Department, the Chicago Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department were established.
Before this timeframe, there were sheriffs, US Marshals, federal law enforcement officers, and Texas Rangers. In 1857, the Baltimore PD was the first agency to issue pistols to its officers. These were Colt 1849 models that held five .31-caliber rounds. In 1858, the Boston and Chicago PDs issued uniforms to their officers.
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These areas of the United States were the first to establish official law enforcement agencies due to their growing populations. And with growing populations comes more chaos and crime. Early on, police officers were trained in physical fitness and resiliency. Much of their initial training was based on the “Night Watch” duties established in Boston in the 1600s.
The first police academy was founded in 1888 in Cincinnati, Ohio. After that, other states began establishing their own law enforcement academies.
They were also responsible for both urban disturbances and rural disruptions. Later, their role would shift as more and more official Sheriff offices were established.
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Sheriff Offices
As time went on and more and more people came to the United States, many began moving west. This meant that more rural areas needed some form of law enforcement. City police were not present in some areas of the country, and those sections of the US that did have both city police and rural law enforcement agencies needed police officers to handle urban areas, and Sheriff deputies to handle rural sections.
The very first Sheriff Office was the St. Mary’s County Sheriff Office, which was established in 1637 in Maryland. The reason for an official Sheriff office was the need to keep the peace and law and order once military and other government entities were no longer in certain areas of the US.
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The 1800s brought official Sheriff offices to the western portion of the United States. The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department was founded in 1850. The Lincoln County (NM) Sheriff Office was established in 1869. Many departments at that time did not issue their deputies uniforms; they only issued badges, and most carried revolvers. During the early 1900s, Sheriff deputies began to be equipped with uniforms.
Differences and Similarities
There are a few differences in the duties of Police Departments and Sheriff agencies. Both entities are sworn law enforcement officers who must attend a law enforcement academy. Both Sheriff deputies and police officers must then be further trained by the respective agency that hired them before they can begin responding to calls on their own. All in all, police officers and Sheriff deputies receive the same training. The difference lies only in the types of situations they handle.
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For instance, each state is made up of various counties, and each county has several cities, towns, or villages. Sheriff deputies are responsible for protecting and serving entire counties, no matter how large or small. Police Departments are focused on protecting and serving in their respective cities, towns, or villages. This means that if a local police department needs extra backup, a Sheriff deputy in that county may assist. Both agencies must uphold ordinances established by the local government. At times, Sheriff offices will cross-commission city police so they can assist in other areas of the county beyond their city limits or jurisdiction.
Another slight difference is that police departments are run by a Police Chief who is hired by the city to be in that position. The Police Chief answers to the city council, which is composed of the mayor, the city manager, and councilors. The salary for a Police Chief is set by the city they work for.
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But Why Sherrif Offices?
Sheriff Offices are run by a Sheriff who is elected by the citizens of that particular county and works with a county commission made up of several elected officials. The Sheriff will appoint an Undersheriff as second in command in that office, whereas in police departments, the second in command is a Deputy Chief, who the city must hire. The salaries of the Sheriff and Undersheriff are set by state and county statutes. Sheriffs have a set number of terms they may serve, whereas a Police Chief may remain in that position until they desire to retire.
The Sheriff office of a county is responsible for the jail that is in that particular county. A police department will use the county jail, transporting arrestees to that jail, but the Sheriff office is in charge of the facility. Most jails these days are run by a third-party company in the correctional profession, chosen and contracted by county officials. There is a jail warden assigned to oversee a county jail; however, ultimately, the Sheriff office looks over the jail and is responsible for it.
To Protect and Serve
Additionally, deputies often handle civil issues, such as property disputes or civil standbys, serve court paperwork, and are often assigned as bailiffs or court security for the county courthouse. Depending on the location of the Sheriff office, deputies may also have to work in conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management or the Livestock Inspector in the event of a dispute of that nature. However, both city police and Sheriff deputies are necessary for protecting and serving.
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Police Departments and Sheriff Offices both have patrolmen, detectives, an evidence unit, and a records department. However, depending on the needs of the city police or Sheriff deputies, or the size of the department, they have additional units such as K9S, SWAT, Special Ops, etc.
All states also have another law enforcement agency known as state police or state troopers. These law enforcement officers often assist an agency or take on a case, depending on the type of incident. For instance, if a fatal vehicle accident occurs on a highway, that type of auto accident is often investigated by state police or a state trooper, since it happened on a state highway.
Public Safety
The slight differences between police departments and Sheriff offices do not mean that both do not protect their communities. Ultimately, public safety is the goal for both entities. Sheriff Deputies and Police Officers often work together toward a common goal, supporting each other in their communities. Deputy Chief Sam Hanna of the Ruidoso Downs (NM) Police Department said the only differences are some statutes, nameplates, and uniforms. “At the end of the day, we all do the same job, Public Safety,” said Deputy Chief Hanna.