City v.s Sheriff

[Gold777]

Is it true that the sheriff departments are a lot more political then the city departments?

[TexasAggieOfc]

Depends... small towns can be just as political as the SOs

[UnitOneSixteen]

I think it really varies from department to department. But remember one thing, a Sheriff is an elected official, where the PD Chief is appointed. With that being said, naturally the sheriff wants to keep his job. He has to keep majority of his constituents happy to ensure their votes.

I know when I started out in LE I was with a SO, and every as election time came around everything was ran totally different.

[phillyrube]

I would say yes. It's election season in Virginia, and all the TV ads show the candidates posing with deputies and talking about crime. You never see police.

[Gold777]

It seems like where you guys live the election for sheriff is a big deal. Around here i assumed that the sheriff was also elected, but it's not publicized as much here as it seems it is where you guys are from.

Thank you for your service to your community and stay safe.

[Phlip]

I worked for a city, then for a sheriff. I love being a Sheriff Dep, but it's not for everyone.

[boomhower1820]

It is certainly more political in most places. Around here a lot of the deputies complain about not being able to due what they really want due the Sheriff not wanting a bunch of tickets being wrote come election time. I work for a city and love it. Plus not having to worry about your job every four years is nice.

[Bully]

I've heard it both ways. Now remember, I used to work in the so called "City of Angels". The LAPD is the most political agency on the planet. Then my old agency, LA School PD, is political in a different way. The LAPD plays politics with public opinion and that stupid police commission. The LASPD plays politics with school district administrators.

My SO is great. Some people complain of politics but I haven't seen it. I can pretty much do what I want, when I want, as long as it has to do with putting people in jail.

[TexasAggieOfc]

I think it really varies from department to department. But remember one thing, a Sheriff is an elected official, where the PD Chief is appointed. With that being said, naturally the sheriff wants to keep his job. He has to keep majority of his constituents happy to ensure their votes.

I know when I started out in LE I was with a SO, and every as election time came around everything was ran totally different.

A Police Chief may be appointed, but remember this:

A Sheriff is up for re-election once every four years

A Police Chief is up for re-election everytime the City Council meets

[mikeymedic]

I work in a small town and believe me teh politics in the PD's are amazing.

[Mstangfk]

its an elected position so yes..

[nonickname69]

Is it true that the sheriff departments are a lot more political then the city departments?

Its the other way around IMO. The Chief of Police is appointed by a Mayor or city council and is subject to their whims or that person may lose their job.

The Sheriff is elected and except for butting heads over budget stuff with county commissioners is in charge and no one is above him.

[ateamer]

Around here, I think the city PDs are more political, both for the officers and for the chiefs. For one thing, in California, sheriff, as with all county and city elected offices, is nonpartisan. For another, civil service protection removes a lot of politics for the worker bees. The sheriff still has to do politicking, but he doesn't have to clique up with a particular party.

[creolecop]

I worked for a PD civil service at first then went to a Sheriff's Office. I love it waaay more at my S.O. PD's can be as political because with a PD you have a mayor running the PD basically, and he's an elected official, but also an elected CIVILIAN. He picks the Chief, and the Chief is there to kiss his butt or he loses his job. The Sheriff answers to no one. They don't fall to political pressure as quick IMO as a civilian mayor. That Sheriff knows under all the politics the Deputies still have to do a Law Enforcement job and sometimes to do it it just doesn't look pretty. Also when I was civil service I seen it protect far to many plugs that should have been booted long ago. Also if your city council is at odds with the police dept, which I'v seen when I was with a PD, the mayor did not like the PD along with some of his cronies he put pushed into councilman office. So when the Chief wants to suspend you for 2 days without pay he has to take that RECOMMENDATION to the council for approval. The chief can't just fire and suspend people without the councils vote. Well I'v seen council members who didn't like the police due to their own loved ones having negative run in's with the law. Now officer joe is up for 2 days suspension, guess what.....The council voted to suspend the officer for 2 weeks without pay. They simply said the Chiefs punishment recommendation was to low. As a result the Chief stopped going before the council for punishment. He said they were humiliating him. So now all he could really do unless he wanted to give the council power to screw his people again was little punishments in house here and there relating to job assignment.

I am allowed to be far more proactive (as much as I want to be) at my S.O. then when I was with a PD. It all depends on that particular agency.

[creolecop]

Here is an excellent example about why a city police is not always better than a Sheriff's Office in terms of politics. Remember with a city police, the Mayor is the big dog, not the chief, so you have some irrational civilian who is really pulling the strings, because the Chief answers to him.

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_13644319