What is the difference between cop and sheriff

A city typically has a higher concentration of police officers than a county does deputy sheriffs. A sheriff may strategically place their deputies more widely throughout their jurisdiction to cover a larger area, where police officers often work in groups or pairs within their city limits. Deputy sheriffs and police officers might collaborate on cases where criminal activity occurs within both of their jurisdictions and requires cooperation between departments to resolve.

Both deputy sheriffs and police officers undergo specific training at a police academy or similar university training program. Training can take up to six months, depending on the program you choose to pursue.

Officers typically receive weapons and police policy training, which can differ between cities, states and jurisdictions. For example, city police officers may receive training in riot disbursement and crowd control because a city setting may experience larger gatherings of people. Conversely, a sheriff's deputy might not require this training because their jurisdiction may never experience these types of gatherings. Police officers and deputy sheriffs often have opportunities to pursue the same training path, but the requirements of their training might vary by state.

For example, some states require additional policy training for deputy sheriffs. If you want to pursue either career path, it may be helpful to research the requirements for the state in which you seek employment. Both deputy sheriffs and police officers can pursue an undergraduate degree in law enforcement to supplement their knowledge of law, criminal investigations and police policy. Undergraduate degrees can take between two and four years to complete.

An associate degree is a two-year program that teaches students the basics of law enforcement, whereas a bachelor's degree is a four-year program that teaches more advanced concepts and methods. Students who hold a bachelor's degree in law enforcement may earn a higher salary because of the advanced knowledge they attain.

Deputy sheriffs and police officers typically hold at least an associate degree, but a degree isn't always a requirement, as it may vary by employer. Education requirements can vary by state, too, with some states requiring officers to pursue an undergraduate degree before entering academy training.

Regardless of the career path you choose or the state in which you plan to pursue your career, an undergraduate degree in law enforcement can help support your ambitions. Deputy sheriffs and police officers share similar duties, with a few key differences:. Patrolling areas: Both deputy sheriffs and police officers patrol their jurisdictions to deter crime and monitor civilians.

However, police officers often patrol city streets, while deputy sheriffs typically patrol highways or county roads. Investigating crimes: Deputy sheriffs and police officers both investigate crimes, but the nature of those crimes and their jurisdictions can determine the level of involvement for both law enforcement professions. For example, a police officer may investigate a burglary within their city but surrender that case to detectives who specialize in homicides if a murder also occurred at the crime scene, even though the crime happened in their jurisdiction.

Enforcing laws: Deputy sheriffs and police officers both enforce the law but maintain respect for each other's jurisdictions. In both cases, candidates take a written examination to qualify. They also submit to a physical examination and a background check. If the candidate passes, he or she is interviewed, and if the interview goes well, the candidate is sent to a training academy. At the academy, the cadet will participate in an academic program which is designed to prepare them for active duty.

In addition, the sheriff or police trainee will learn how to handle firearms, drive a law enforcement vehicle, and perform other necessary tasks. After graduation, the candidate is accepted into the department where he or she interviewed. An applicant may also attend an academy and then apply into a department, although this tends to be more rare.

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a InfoBloom researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors. However, in few countries, there are elected officials apart from police officers to perform this function of law enforcement. The reason behind having a separate department for law enforcement is to enhance public safety and to promote law and order.

The roles, duties, and functions of both sheriffs and police officers are clearly demarcated and both cooperate with each other in crime control and investigation. The situation sometimes becomes difficult as different states have different responsibilities for sheriffs.

This article helps to differentiate between the two officers. According to Wikipedia, a sheriff is a legal officer with a responsibility for maintaining law and order within a county. However, in practice, the specific combination of legal, political and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country.

It comes from an Old English concept, as it was referred to a royal official who was responsible for keeping peace throughout the county on behalf of the king. Nearly, all the countries in England were bestowed with a sheriff. Sheriffs exist in various countries with different responsibilities, which are required according to the given decree program of a country.

In some countries, they act as administrative legal officers, who are considered similar to bailiffs in the Republic of Ireland, Australia, and Canada; their duties are expanded or reduced regarding certain provinces in a country. Also, sheriffs are court judges in Scotland. They conduct sessions in court regarding trails, bails, etc. There is a ceremonial position for sheriffs in countries like England, Wales and India. In the United States of America, the scope of a sheriff varies across states and counties.

The sheriff is most often considered as a county official, who serves as the arm of the county court. He is generally considered to be the highest law enforcement officer of a county. A sheriff is in most cases elected by the citizens of the county. In the Commonwealth City of Virginia, people have a sheriff's office that serves as the arm of the city court and jail.