History

Nomenclature

The word "Sheriff" is of English derivation, a contraction of the words "shire" (county) and "reeve" (an agent of the king). Remember the "Sheriff of Nottingham"? He and his counterparts weren't very popular were they? They held office either because their father did, or they received what was termed "royal appointment" (based not on abilities, but instead by what particular favors they had done for the crown). Their remuneration depended upon how much taxes they collected - so you can readily understand what their principal duty was and why they resorted in some cases to "less than ethical" methods of collection.

Current Practices

Today's Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of his county by virtue of public acclaim, in the form of election every four years by the eligible voting populace of his county.

His chief deputy is appointed by the Sheriff to help him with his duties and act as chief coordinator.

In most offices the Sheriff's personnel are unique in that all functions of the office are performed by any deputy, whether the assignment be in the corrections field, the court system, or the law enforcement division. For example, he may act as a bailiff or a jailer, transport a prisoner, serve a civil process, or patrol a road, all in the same day. It is for this reason the Sheriff's Office operates in such a smooth manner and on such an economical scale, resulting in great benefit to the taxpayers.

Historical Information

For more historical information, please visit The Shelby County Historical Society’s page on the History of Shelby County Sheriffs.

Former Sheriffs