From the Coosa Journal; October
2014; Volume 6-Number 10; Pages 4-7, 16-19
The Office of Sheriff
By: Chaplain Jeff Fuller, B.R.E., M.Div,
Ph.D.
Coosa County Sheriff’s Office
History of Sheriff
The
office of the Sheriff came into existence around the 9th
Century in England, which was divided into counties, as it is today. It was an appointment by the king for a law
enforcement officer to safeguard the county in which they served and carry out
the will of the king. It is interesting
to note that the king designated a royal official responsible for keeping the
peace (a "reeve") throughout a shire or county or parish on behalf of
the king. As such, the sheriff served as
the chief law enforcement officer, known as “sheriff.” The word comes from the Saxon words “scyre,”
or county, and “reve,” or keeper.
The
sheriff was the keeper of the county, with a wide variety of powers to preserve
peace and carry out the commands of the king.
In relation to being the “keeper of the county,” they were empowered to
arrest and commit felons to jail, executed the process of early English courts,
return impartial juries for the trial of men’s lives, and command citizens to
form a “posse” in order to defend their territory. With these duties, the sheriff became an
individual with great responsibility and held in the highest respect.
The
Office of Sheriff grew in importance with increasing responsibilities up to and
through the Norman invasion of England in 1066.
Even though the duties of the Sheriff at that time, would ebb and flow
with the mood and the needs of the kings and government, most of the duties
have remained the same and are evident in the work of the office in the United
States today.
In 1215 the Magna Carta, a
document of freedom, was reluctantly sighed by King John, which included 63
clauses. Of those clauses, 27 were
related to restrictions and responsibilities of the sheriff. With the passage of time, there was also a
loss of responsibility and power for the sheriff, and by the early 1800’s the
office became largely ceremonial, as it is today.
Sheriff in America
English
colonist brought with them the concept of the sheriff, along with other English
legal practices when they crossed the Atlantic and formed the New World. Each territory was subdivided and the law was
represented by one individual-the sheriff.
With this grant of power, the sheriff sought to preserve the peace and
enforce the law in the spirit of the new age.
There
was some dissatisfaction with most other forms of English administration, yet
after the Revolution all of the American states provided for the maintenance of
the office of sheriff. Through constitutional provisions and charters, the
sheriff was vested with the authority to act as an executive of the state
within his county. As a result, the sheriff was often the highest governmental
official within the sheriff's county.
Sometimes referred to as “The High Sheriff.”
The
first sheriff in America is believed to be Captain William Stone who was
appointed in 1634 for the Shire of Northhampton in the colony of Virginia. The first elected sheriff was William Waters
in 1652 in the same shire. It is
important to note that shire was used in many colonies, before the word county
replaced it.
In America, compared to England, the Office of Sheriff
was much less social, had less judicial influence, and was much more responsive
to individuals. Yet, as the nation
expanded westward, the Office of Sheriff continued to become a significant part
of law enforcement. As this happened,
the elected sheriff became a part of America’s democratic fabric.
In
1776 both Pennsylvania and New Jersey adopted the Office of Sheriff in their
Constitution. The Ohio Constitution
called for the election of the county sheriff in 1802, and then state-by-state,
the democratic election of sheriff became not only a tradition, but in most
states a constitutional requirement.
Today, in the United States, of the 3,083 sheriff’s represented,
approximately 98 percent are elected by the citizens of their counties or
parishes.
The
early American Sheriff was important to the security of the people, and was
granted much power.
There
were many sheriffs in the early west and a few did not live up to the standards
of the badge they wore. Some sheriffs
were indicted for abuse of power, drunkenness and/or corruption. The vast majority served with courage and
distinction. One sheriff, Sheriff Henry
Plummer, of Bannock, as mining camp in the Montana Territory, served in
1863-1864. He allegedly headed up a gang
of robbers and was hung by his constituents.
Other notable figures have held the Office of Sheriff in
the history of the United States.
Augustin Washington, George Washington’s father, was sheriff of
Westmoreland County, Virginia in 1727.
Then there was Wild Bill Hickock, Pat Garrett, Bat Masterson, Bill
Tilghman and others.
The longest serving Sheriff
in the United States was Bernard Shackleton in Lunenburg County, Virginia who
served from 1904-1955 for a total of 51 years.
In Illinois the longest serving Sheriff in history and current Sheriff
of Johnson County is Elry Faulkner, with 36 consecutive years. Then, Sheriff Duane Wirth of Boone County has
served 32 consecutive years and still holds office to this day.
Sheriff in Alabama
In
Alabama there are 67 counties, each with an elected sheriff, who holds the
office for a four year term. Both male
and female are represented in these offices and most have moved through the
ranks to become the highest elected law enforcement officer in their
county. There have been some instances
where an individual, with law enforcement experience but who has not worked for
the office yet lived within the county, has been elected to serve as sheriff
(Sheriff Jimmy Abbott in Tallapoosa County is one such example).
These 67 County Sheriffs are
elected in partisan races and Democrats retain the majority of those posts. The
current split as of December, 2013 is 39 Democrats, 27
Republicans,
and 1 Independent (Choctaw). Most of the Democratic sheriffs preside over rural
and less populated counties. The majority of Republican sheriffs preside over
more urban/suburban and heavily populated counties. Two Alabama counties
(Montgomery and Calhoun) with a population of over 100,000 have Democrat
sheriffs and five Alabama counties
with a population of under 75,000 have Republican sheriffs (Autauga, Coffee,
Dale, Coosa, and Blount). The state has one female sheriff (Morgan) and nine
African-American sheriffs.
Every
Sheriff is Alabama takes the Oath of Office to support the Constitution of the
United States. This oath is a serious
matter, one which has a historical significance. It is written, “The Office of Sheriff is one
of the most familiar and most useful to be found in the history of English
institutions. With the single exception of kingship, no secular dignity now
known to English-speaking people is older.” (W. A. Morris, a Medieval English
Sheriff)
The
Oath of Office is:
“I,
(NAME), solemnly swear (or affirm as the case may be) that I will support the
Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of
Alabama, so long as I continue a citizen thereof; and that I will faithfully
and honestly discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter,
to the best of my ability. So help me God.”
As
the highest elected law enforcement officer in the state, the Sheriff serves as
the arm of the county court. The sheriff
performs court duties as administrator of the county jail, providing courtroom
security and prisoner transportation, serving warrants, and serving
process. In some areas of the state the
sheriff is restricted to those duties alone, yet is most areas the sheriff and
their deputies may serve as the principal police force.
Continual training and educational opportunities are a
constant part of the job. The Alabama
Sheriff’s Association is an executive level professional association of the
elected sheriff’s in Alabama. Through
the Association each sheriff is provided with educational, legislative and
legal assistance. Two times a year the
conference convenes to take care of business matters, but also to afford the
sheriff with these important training privileges.
The
National Sheriff’s Association, meeting once a year, also provides great
opportunity for information and training.
It should be noted that an Alabama Sheriff served as president of the
National Association in 2013. Sheriff
Larry D. Amerson, of Calhoun County, Alabama was elected to the Executive
Committee in 2007 as Sergeant-At-Arms and moved through various positions
before serving as president.
Sheriff in Coosa County
In
Coosa County we have had a wide array of individuals who have served a
sheriff. These have been elected by the
people of the county to serve, with some being re-elected for multiple terms.
This
is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Office of Sheriff and most
likely the most important. The sheriff’s
office is set apart from other law enforcement agencies because it is directly
accountable to the citizens who elected him or her to the office. As such, the Office of Sheriff is not a
department of county government, but it is an independent office through which
the Sheriff exercises the powers of the public trust. No individual or small group hires or fires
the Sheriff, or has authority to interfere with the operations of 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 sheriff should naturally do his best to work with all entities
because it is important in a democratic society. The sheriff must work with all segments of
government to serve and protect the citizens of the county.
This
is why it is so vitally important we preserve the Office of Sheriff. Outside of a few elected town marshals, the
Sheriff is the only head of a law enforcement agency in this nation that is
accountable directly to the people of his or her jurisdiction.
The
Sheriff and all those in law enforcement should never forget that he or she has
a calling to be “a minister of God for good.” (Romans 13:4)
We of Coosa County, the
citizens who elect and hold the sheriff accountable, have been protected and
served by a man who stands for integrity and honesty. Our Sheriff, who completes his second term
this year, is Sheriff Terry Wilson.
Terry Wilson honorably serves as the
Sheriff of Coosa County. He is currently serving his second term of
office. Sheriff Wilson was born and raised in the Stewartville Community
of Coosa County and the city of Sylacauga, Alabama. He attended Stewartville
Elementary through his 8th grade and then completed high school at
B.B. Comer Memorial High School in Sylacauga.
After
graduation, Sheriff Wilson enlisted into the United States Air Force to serve
his country. While in the Air Force his duties included air base level
administration, wing level command posts controller duties, Major Command
Headquarters Command Center Operations, and Airborne Command and Control and
Communications Superintendent duty. During his tours of duty throughout
his career he performed highlighted duties at all levels of assignments of
national security. Most notable was his extraordinary service as a
Superintendent, the top enlisted airman, onboard the National Emergency
Airborne Command Post, the military’s backup aircraft to the President’s Air
Force One. During his career with the Air Force he attended numerous
college courses accumulating two years of college with the Community College of
the Air Force.
After serving our country with 22 years in
the United States Air Force he retired and came back home to Coosa
County. Wanting to begin another service orientated career he pursued the
law enforcement field and was hired as a Deputy Sheriff for Coosa County
Sheriff’s Office. As a Deputy, he has performed many duties in law
enforcement which includes patrol, investigations, narcotics, jail
administration, supervisor duties and management.
After serving for almost 10 years as a
Deputy Sheriff, he decided to run for the Office of Sheriff and the citizens of
Coosa County entrusted him to become their Sheriff in November of 2006.
Sheriff Terry Wilson is married to his wife
Randy and he has one daughter and three grandchildren. He resides in
Rockford where he is a member of the Rockford Baptist Church and is a member of
the Rockford Masonic Lodge.
Sheriff
Wilson is serious about the job he does.
He works tirelessly to serve and protect the citizens of this
county. He is constantly a man in
motion, doing all possible to fulfil the duties of the office, as he administers
a 26 member team of people who assist him daily. His office door is a times a “revolving door”
with people coming and going. He has a
good reputation among the other law enforcement entities of the state, is
faithful in offering a helping hand to other agencies and counties, and is
faithful to the people of Coosa County.
There
are a number of advancements the Coosa County Sheriff’s Office have been
achieved in the last eight years because of the tireless leadership of Sheriff
Wilson and the Office of Sheriff. Cold
Case files have been solved and some have been diligently worked on leading to
potential closure in the future; new equipment and advancements in technology
have made great strides; more involvement in community awareness and participation;
and most importantly a better service to the county.
The Office of Sheriff is
vital to our county and under the leadership of Sheriff Terry Wilson, it is one
of respect and admiration.
Conclusion
In
all, not much has changed through the years in the Office of Sheriff. The sheriff still retains ancient duties to
preserve the peace and execute the law through the exercise of power as an
officer of the sovereign government. The office of sheriff is still the chief
law enforcement office of the county.
Most importantly, the office of sheriff has not lost the dignity it has
enjoyed since its inception as a sheriff today continues to hold the respect
and admiration of the citizens they protect.
Research for this
article comes from:
Sheriff
Roger Scott; Dekalb County, Illinois; Sheriff Magazine; President’s
Issue/Conference Issue 2011
Side
Bar’s for Article
Sheriff in the United
States
· The relationship between the sheriff
and other police departments varies widely from state to state, and in some states from
county/parish to county/parish.
· In the northeastern United States, the
sheriff's duties have been greatly reduced with the advent of state-level law
enforcement agencies, especially the state police and local agencies such as the county
police.
· In Vermont the elected sheriff is primarily an
officer of the County Court, whose duties include running the county jail and serving
papers in lawsuits and foreclosures. Law enforcement patrol is performed as well,
in support of State Police and in the absence of a municipal police agency in
rural towns.
· In Delaware, the sheriff's duties are limited to
serving civil process and conducting foreclosure auctions.
· Some municipalities merged the
sheriff's office with most or all city-level police departments within a
county/parish to form a consolidated city-county/parish or metropolitan police
force responsible for general law enforcement anywhere in the county. The
sheriff in such cases serves simultaneously as sheriff and chief of the
consolidated police department. Examples include the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office in Florida, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Miami-Dade Police Department. Sheriff offices may coexist with
other county/parish level law enforcement agencies such as county/parish
police, county/parish park police,
or county/parish detectives.
· In Virginia since 1871, cities have
been completely independent jurisdictions which are not part of any county at all.
In those cities, the sheriff handles jails, courtroom security and serves all
civil process — subpoenas, evictions, etc. However, in some counties that
have created separate county police departments, the sheriff's office shares
law enforcement duties.
· The New York City Sheriff is appointed by the mayor. His jurisdiction is all five
county-boroughs of New York City — Kings, Queens, Richmond, Bronx and New
York counties.
· The sheriffs of Middlesex County
and Suffolk County,
Massachusetts
have ceremonial duties at Harvard
University commencement exercises. In a tradition dating to the 17th century, the Sheriffs
lead the President's Procession, and the Sheriff of Middlesex County formally
opens and adjourns the proceedings.
· There are also states in the United
States that do not have sheriffs, such as Connecticut. In Connecticut, where county
government has been abolished, the state and local police have sole
responsibility for law enforcement.
· Missouri has a county that eliminated the position
of elected sheriff in 1955; the St. Louis County Police Department has an appointed police chief that
performs the duties of the sheriff.
· Colorado has two counties that have
appointed sheriffs rather than elected officials like the other 62 counties. Denver and Broomfield
are city-and-county entities, which are required to have and/or perform a
sheriff function. Denver's "sheriff" is the manager of safety, who is
appointed by the mayor to oversee the fire, police and sheriff departments and
is the ex officio sheriff. The position was created in
1916 to oversee the fire and police chiefs as well as the undersheriff who
oversees the sheriff department. The Denver Sheriff Department is responsible
for the operation of the correctional facilities as well as serving the courts
per state law. Broomfield evolved from four counties in 2001. The Broomfield
Police Department performs all "sheriff" functions under an appointed
police chief, who acts as the sheriff per state law.
Sheriffs exist in
various countries:
· Sheriffs
are administrative legal officials similar to bailiffs in the Republic of Ireland, Australia, and Canada (with expanded duties in
certain provinces).
· In
the United States of America, the scope of a sheriff varies across states and
counties/parishes. The sheriff is most often a county or parish official, and
serves as the arm of the county or parish court; but some cities, such as those
in the Commonwealth of Virginia,
also have a sheriff's office that serves as the arm of the city court and jail.
The sheriff performs court duties. These may include such functions as
administering the county or parish or city jail, providing courtroom security
and prisoner transportation, serving warrants and serving process. In
urban areas, a sheriff may be restricted to those duties. Many other sheriffs
and their deputies may serve as the principal police force.
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