Sheriff
Have you ever thought what does the word Sheriff mean? What is the function of a Sheriff, where did the concept and word Sheriff orginate
Lets start with the word SHERIFF
You might ask where did the word Sheriff orginate from and what does the word Sheriff mean.
So lets go back in time more than twelve hundred years ago, the country we now call England was inhabited by small groups of Anglo-Saxons who lived in rural communities called tuns (a group of ten families).
The Anglo-Saxon word for chief was gerefa, which was later shortened to reeve (group of 100 families). During the next two centuries, a number of changes occurred in there system which led to a new unit of government, the shire (groups of hundreds banded together), which is now known in America as a county. So to distinguish the leader of a shire from the leader of a mere hundred, the more powerful official name became known as a shire-reeve.
The word shire-reeve eventually became the modern word for sheriff (the keeper, or chief, of the county).
History of the Office of Sheriff
Before the year 700 A.D., Anglo-Saxons in England became the first group of people in history to recognize a person within their “shire” as a “reeve” or “chief”. A shire was a group of hundreds of people and is akin to what we recognize today as a county. The “shire-reeve” eventually became known as the sheriff and was the person responsible for maintaining law and order in the county.
In 1215, King John signed the Magna Carta. In the text of the Magna Carta it mentioned the role of the Sheriff nine times further establishing the importance of the office.
Over the next few centuries, the Sheriff remained the leading law enforcement officer for the county.
When English settlers first came to America, they brought the Office of Sheriff across the Atlantic with them.
While records show the first sheriffs in colonial Virginia were elected by popular vote, sheriffs were most often appointed in early America. Sheriffs were tasked with enforcing the law, collecting taxes and overseeing jails and workhouses. Perhaps the most famous early American sheriff was Augustin Washington, father of George Washington.
HISTORY OF THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF AND THE WILD WEST
As America began to expand into the western territories, the Office of Sheriff, along with the concept of jails and law and order travelled with it. On the western frontier, law and order was complicated and sometimes proved difficult to implement and enforce.
Because of this, it seems this period of American history is filled with some of the most famous or infamous sheriffs in history such as Pat Garrett (famous for killing Billy the Kid), Wyatt Earp (famous for the Shootout at the OK Corral) and Bat Masterson (famous sheriff in Dodge City, Kansas).
UNITED STATES-MODERN DAY AND ROLE OF THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF
Today, there are over three thousand counties in the United States and almost all of them have a sheriff. Even some large cities have sheriffs. In the majority of states, the Office of Sheriff is established by the state constitution. Alaska is the only state where the Office of Sheriff does not exist.
There are only two states in which the sheriff is not elected by the voters: Rhode Island and Hawaii.
TODAY in America, most sheriffs retain the same basic responsibilities as they did when the office was established in America:
IN UNITED STATES TODAY-WHAT ARE THE BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF
Law and order, service of civil process, court security and jail administration.
Modern sheriffs are also largely responsible for the safety and security of the courts as well and are still deemed by many as the most respected and highest-ranking law enforcement
YOU NOW HAVE A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF DOES, WHERE THE CONCEPT OF THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF ORGINATED FROM, AND WHAT THE WORD SHERIFF MEANS.
Now, you may ask
Who is the highest of police or sheriff?
Answer: A Sheriff is generally (but not always) the highest, usually elected, law-enforcement officer of a county. Chiefs of Police usually are municipal employees who owe their allegiance to a city.
How powerful is the office of the Sheriff
Answer: Sheriffs and their deputies are sworn peace officers with the power to make arrests and serve before a magistrate or judge, serve warrants for arrest or order for arrest, and give a ticket/citation in order to keep the peace. Some states extend this authority to adjacent counties or to the entire state.
Can FBI overrule a sheriff?
Answer: No, State and local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI, and the FBI does not supervise or take over their investigations
Do sheriffs swear to uphold the Constitution?
Answer: Sworn law enforcement officers are those who have taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, their state, and the laws of their agency's jurisdiction. Sworn officers also have the responsibility to ensure the safety and quality of life of the communities they serve.
ANOTHER BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT USED BY THE ENGLISH -BROUGHT TO AMERICA
"CITIZENS ARREST
(ENGLISH COMMON LAW)
WHAT IS CITIZENS ARREST AND WHERE DID IT ORGINATE?
The origins of the doctrine of citizen's arrest begins in medieval England. Citizens arrest was use to , impose a positive duty on citizens to assist the King in seeking out suspected offenders and detaining them.
THE CONCEPT OF CITIZENS ARREST
Brought to this country by settlers from England
today CITIZENS ARREST is still legal here in the United States
Citizen's arrest is an arrest made by a private citizen, in contrast to the typical arrest made by a police officer. Citizen's arrests are lawful in certain limited situations, such as when a private citizen personally witnesses a violent crime and then detains the perpetrator.
Patriots, every state in America allows for some form of citizen's arrest, although the details vary. One discrepancy is how states handle blame if, in fact, no crime has been committed.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
How do I make a US citizen's arrest?
Making a Citizen's Arrest
Tell the suspect plainly that you are making a citizen's arrest and that you are holding him or her until police arrive.
Call the police.
Ask explicitly for his or her cooperation until police arrive.
Avoid using force, if at all possible, and use it to the minimum possible otherwise
PLEASE TAKE NOTE
These are just guidelines, they may vary by state.
americas very basic form of law enforcement to the very first concept of law enforcement. orginated in England.
the office of sheriff
a very powerful and respected
the office of sheriff is a mainstay in our law enforcement
and
citizens arrest
very basic law enforcement that can be carried out by a citizen of the united states
Hope this information was informative and useful to all
who took the time to read it...
