Sheriffs in the United States

In the United States, a sheriff is an official in a county who is responsible for keeping the peace and enforcing the law. Unlike most officials in law enforcement in the United States, sheriffs are usually elected, although many states (such as California) have state laws requiring that a person possess certain law enforcement qualifications before being able to run for the office. Elected sheriffs are accountable directly to the constitution of their state, the United States Constitution, statutes, and the citizens of their county.

The law enforcement agency headed by a sheriff is commonly referred to as a "sheriff's office" or "sheriff's department". According to the National Sheriffs' Association, an American sheriff's advocacy group, there were 3,085 sheriff's offices and departments as of the end of 2008. These range in size from very small (one- or two-member) forces in sparsely populated rural areas to large, full-service law enforcement agencies, such as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which is the largest sheriff's office and the seventh largest law enforcement agency in the United States, with 16,400 members and 400 reserve deputies.

Of the 50 U.S. states, 48 have sheriffs. The two exceptions are Alaska, which does not have counties, and Connecticut, which has no county governments.

Sheriffs are elected to four-year terms in 42 states, two-year terms in Arkansas and New Hampshire, three-year terms in New Jersey, and six-year terms in Massachusetts.

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