[Freerollin`]

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there are states that have both police departments and sheriff's offices

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OK I'm an idiot. I thought sherriff's offices WERE the police department. WTF is up? Someone care to elaborate?

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sheriff is a county office, usually the sheriff is elected, this happens more in rural counties (esp the south) where some areas are unincorporated. but sheriffs still have jurisdictions in towns where there are town cops as well. does create some confusion.

NT

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To add, in the northern US, sheriff's deputies are responsible for courtroom security, transporting prisoners across the state, serving warrants, and serving process papers.

As an officer, I worked with deputies serving warrants sometimes (my partner and I were backup, which deputies would request sometimes if police were available). That's when the dog story above happened.