Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
| Jacksonville Sheriff's Office | |
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Logo of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
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Badge of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
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| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1968 |
| Employees | 3,060 |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
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| Map of Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's jurisdiction. | |
| Legal jurisdiction | Duval County |
| General nature |
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| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 501 E. Bay Street, Jacksonville, Florida |
| Sworn members | 1,600 Police Officers 760 Corrections Officers |
| Unsworn members | 700 civilians |
| Agency executive | Michael Williams, Sheriff |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) is a joint city-county law enforcement agency, which has primary responsibility for law enforcement, investigation, and corrections within the consolidated City of Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida, United States. Duval County includes the incorporated cities of Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, Baldwin, Jacksonville Beach, and Neptune Beach; the beach cities have their own police departments as well.
The sheriff's office also performs the corrections duties for the county. The current sheriff is Michael Williams, in office since July 1, 2015. Sheriff John T. Rutherford retired on June 30, 2015 and had been Sheriff since July 1, 2003. The JSO is one of the largest departments in the Southeastern United States, with 3,600 employees. Its headquarters is 501 E. Bay Street Jacksonville, Florida 32202.
According to the Sheriff's Office, its Mission is "To serve and protect in partnership with our community." The Vision of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is "A crime-free environment, driven by partnerships with empowered citizens, fostering a vibrant community and the success of all individuals." The Core Values of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office are: "Always Improving; Community Focused; Respect for Each Other; and Worthy of Trust."
The first sheriff to be appointed in Jacksonville was James Dell in 1822 when Duval County was incorporated. A town ordinance in 1845 required all free males living in Jacksonville to participate in evening patrol duty. From 1865 to 1869 law enforcement was enforced by the continued occupation of the Union Army and their provost marshal and guard. A civilian Marshal was appointed as head of the department in 1871 along with the creation of the Captain of Police rank. The mayor appointed the captain who would then be confirmed by the city council. In 1887 the captain of police became known as chief of police. A new charter was also established in 1887 creating a board of police commissioners. The department was composed mostly of African Americans. House Bill No. 4 was passed by the Florida State Legislature allowing the Governor to abolish all offices in Jacksonville and to make new appointments to fill the vacancies. The police force in 1889 consisted of a chief, three officers and 24 patrolmen. The first patrol wagon, pulled by two horses, was used in 1895. In 1904, as the automobile became more popular, the speed limit was set at 6 miles per hour. The first automobile patrol car was established in 1911.
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Wikipedia