Uvalde intensifies doubts over whether tiny police agencies make sense - Wash Post

[jlw]

I can't speak for Indiana. The "metropolitan counties" in Maryland (basically between D.C. and Baltimore) have county police departments and possible corrections departments. Sheriff's offices are restricted to court-related functions and possibly corrections. A similar set-up exists in Northern Virginia though I think those SO's have corrections. I'm also aware of county police departments in Georgia and New York State.

This is not to denigrate the work of these sheriff's offices. I have the highest regard for our sheriff's office who handle many emergency petitions, protective orders, and circuit court-originated felony warrants. Our most recent OIS several days ago was a deputy sheriff assigned to the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force.

GA has 159 counties with each having an Office of the Sheriff as required by the state constitution. Twelve of the counties have county PDs.

All 12 of those county PDs were created prior to a change in state law requiring it to be a ballot measure rather than the commissioners just doing it.

The state recently provided legislation concerning a method for dissolving those county PDs if the voters choose to do so.

[BehindBlueI's]

Is that a statewide thing in Indiana? In Florida and Texas (and others), a sheriff’s office does it all including road patrol.

No, every other county has a full service sheriff's dept.

[Le Français]

No, every other county has a full service sheriff's dept.

I meant the distinction you drew between sheriff’s office and sheriff’s department. I don’t think that distinction applies anywhere outside of Indiana, and I was wondering if it’s across the state or just in the Indianapolis area.

[BehindBlueI's]

I meant the distinction you drew between sheriff’s office and sheriff’s department. I don’t think that distinction applies anywhere outside of Indiana, and I was wondering if it’s across the state or just in the Indianapolis area.

There is only one "sheriff's office" in the state, Marion County Sheriff's Office. I don't know that it's a legal distinction or just a name change to differentiate it from the pre-merger entity.

[BehindBlueI's]

That fact that nearly everyone here seems to have seen police corruption of some kind seems like a really bad sign for the health of a first-world country. Maybe the issue isn't training standards. Maybe the issue is that we're not a first-world country in some places.

Name an occupation that has access to any level of money or power that does not have some level of corruption. Public or private. A certain level of corruption is inevitable, from sales clerks to senators, doctors to dog walkers.

[jnc36rcpd]

I meant the distinction you drew between sheriff’s office and sheriff’s department. I don’t think that distinction applies anywhere outside of Indiana, and I was wondering if it’s across the state or just in the Indianapolis area.

I have read the argument that elected sheriffs are constitutional offices rather than departments of county government. This seems to be important to some and perhaps is.

[willie]

Behind paywall but this “gift” link should work for everyone. https://wapo.st/3OmVnfK A few excerpts:




Thoughts?

The author described the police department in my former school district.

[CraigS]

For discussion's sake let's take a state w/ 10 large cities, each having a large PD. There are also 30 counties, towns, or jurisdictions w/ each having it's own PD/Sheriff w/ 30 officers. The decision is made to disband the 30 PDs because ?????? Do the 900 officers from those 30 PDs now work for one of the large city PDs? Do they keep living in the same place or do they have to move to one of the 10 cities? I live in X-town 50 miles from the nearest large city and call 911. Who will respond? Do they have to drive 50 miles to get to me?

[jlw]

I have read the argument that elected sheriffs are constitutional offices rather than departments of county government. This seems to be important to some and perhaps is.

It is a very important distinction in the places in which it applies.

[jlw]

For discussion's sake let's take a state w/ 10 large cities, each having a large PD. There are also 30 counties, towns, or jurisdictions w/ each having it's own PD/Sheriff w/ 30 officers. The decision is made to disband the 30 PDs because ?????? Do the 900 officers from those 30 PDs now work for one of the large city PDs? Do they keep living in the same place or do they have to move to one of the 10 cities? I live in X-town 50 miles from the nearest large city and call 911. Who will respond? Do they have to drive 50 miles to get to me?

I think the argument is that you wouldn't have the individual agencies. They would all work under a single umbrella.