Career as a SHERIFF

America refers to the term �sheriff� as the highest, usually elected, law enforcement officer of a particular county.The sheriff usually heads the police department of that county with the help of an undersheriff, or warden of the county jail, and a police chief. All officers working for the agency headed by a sheriff are called sheriff's deputies or deputy sheriffs and are so called because they are deputized by the sheriff to perform the same duties as he.

Some functions of the sheriff include keeping the county jail, transporting prisoners, maintaining courthouse security and conducting county auctions for real estate in foreclosure.Along with the duties above, sheriffs also perform traditional methods of law enforcement like patrolling and investigating.

About 3,500 county sheriff's offices exist in the United States and range from one- or two-member forces to the 11,000-member Los Angeles County Sheriff�s Department. Sheriffs are viewed as the most prominent political individual in most rural areas, especially in Southern United States.

How to become the County Sheriff

Sheriffs are usually elected to their positions and perform duties similar to those of a local or county police chief. Sheriffs� departments tend to be relatively small and rural, most having fewer than 50 sworn officers. Deputy sheriffs have law enforcement jobs similar to those of officers in urban police departments. Candidates must be a U.S. Citizen, 21 years of age, have completed the GED or equivalent, and have at least an associate�s degree in a criminal justice related field. A bachelor�s degree in criminal justice will further qualify applicants for the position.Once selected after the application process, prospects will be sent to one of the many Sheriff�s training academies.At the Academy, candidates will learn the basics of law enforcement duties, investigating crimes and apprehending law violators.After graduation from the Academy, they will continue to learn the many facets of law enforcement at the sheriff�s department and through hands-on experience with a mentor.

Salary Ranges for Sheriffs

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sheriff�s Patrol Officers earned a median salary of $45,210 a year as of May 2004.Furthermore, the top 10% of Sheriff�s Patrol Officers made more than $68,880 a year.It is always safe to assume that sheriff salaries will vary by location of sheriff�s departments.Sheriffs in more affluent areas will earn drastically more than in less affluent areas.Also, keep in mind that the sheriff jobs in the more affluent areas are much more competitive, and the need to stand out among the competition is even more important.One way to accomplish this is to seek higher education along with the experience and training that is already gained from working in the field. There are countless criminal justice and law enforcement programs offered on college campuses and online to prepare students to advance in this very dynamic fiel

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