Who does a sheriff report to?

Question

Zippia Team · Accepted Answer

A sheriff reports directly to the citizens of their county. Unlike police chiefs, who usually report to mayors or other elected officials, sheriffs are accountable directly to the citizens of their county, the constitution of their state, and ultimately the United States Constitution. Many sheriffs serve long stints in office, and some have been in place for decades.

The role of sheriff goes back to England where sheriffs were usually appointed by the Crown and other officials to oversee the laws of the shire, or county. Duties included tax collection and running a local militia, also called the posse comitatus - citizens who would moonlight as law enforcement.

The only states that do not have local sheriffs are Alaska, Hawaii, and Connecticut, which rely on statewide law enforcement agencies. While the precise role of elected sheriffs varies from state to state, they have some duties in common, including overseeing local jails, transporting prisoners and pretrial detainees, and investigating crimes.