LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER INFORMATION

Local or City Police Officer

Local or city police officers are responsible for enforcing the law within their jurisdiction. Officers patrol by marked or unmarked cars, motorcycle, bicycle or on foot. Local or city police officers are subjected to many diverse situations as they patrol their areas. This happens because they can encounter nearly every type of criminal activity. They may respond to a lost child, burglary in progress, a domestic dispute, a car accident, a medical emergency, a shooting, a kidnapping, a suicide, etc. They, not the FBI are usually the first officers to arrive when a financial institution is robbed.  City and local officers are also responsible for providing public assistance, answering calls related to traffic and other emergencies, collecting, preserving and maintaining evidence, serving arrest warrants, and performing other related activities as needed or required. They are usually required to work various shifts including the weekends and holidays.

With time on the department officers are eligible for a promotion to the rank of sergeant, lieutenant, detective, etc. They can also apply for a specialized unit. Listed below are some of the more common divisions that most large departments have.

Homicide, Robbery, Burglary, Aviation, Vice and Organized Crime, Aviation, Maritime, Computer Forensics, Juvenile, Sex Crimes, Polygraph Section, Motorcycles, Canine, Bicycle, Foot Patrol, Crime Prevention, Bomb Squad.

Deputy Sheriffs

The Sheriff is usually the highest law-enforcement officer of a county. In most counties, the Sheriff is elected by the people of that county.  The Sheriff has Deputies that work under their authority.  Law-enforcement officers working for the Sheriff's Office are called deputy sheriffs or sheriff's deputies because they are deputized by the sheriff to perform the same duties that he performs.

Deputy sheriffs are responsible for enforcing the laws within the county in which they work. This can include urbanized settings as well as more rural areas. They conduct criminal investigations, respond to emergency situations and patrol county property and roads. In most states, the sheriff’s department is responsible for housing local prisoners. Some sheriffs' departments require that deputies also work in the jail supervising inmates as well as working on the street. Other sheriff departments have two separate divisions; corrections and policing, with deputies splitting responsibilities or only doing one of them such as road patrol.  Others are responsible for the jail or corrections tasks.  These include managing the jail and transportation of prisoners to and from police departments and courts.  Many sheriffs’ departments serve criminal, family and civil court subpoenas and orders. Sheriff’s deputies are usually required to work various shifts including the weekends and holidays.  Most sheriffs’ departments follow a career ladder similar to local and city police officers such as sergeant, lieutenant, captain, etc.
 

County Police Officer

Individual counties within some states have a county police department; sometimes this is in addition to the Sheriff's department. County police officers have jurisdiction throughout the county they work in. They prevent crime and enforce the law.  They protect people and property, prevent and detect crime and other violations of law, pursue criminal investigations and arrest criminals.

Many county police officers patrol highways to make roads safe for all users.  They reduce death, injuries and property damage caused by motor vehicle accidents through education and enforcement

County police officers provide control and security in all types of natural and man-made emergencies including terrorist incidents. They provide safety and security for individuals and groups of citizens in furtherance of their rights, duties and responsibilities.

County police departments usually provide a vast array of specialized units that are capable of responding to all types of calls for service.  County police officers are usually required to work various shifts including the weekends and holidays. They generally have a rank structure similar to both city and local police officers.