Dickson County

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With a few exceptions, today's Sheriffs are elected officials who serve as the chief law enforcement officer for a county. Although the duties of the Sheriff vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the Sheriff's office is generally active in all three branches of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, the courts and corrections. The importance of the Office of Sheriff was expressed by Thomas Jefferson, who wrote in his THE VALUE OF CONSTITUTIONS, "The Office of Sheriff is the most important of all the executive offices of the county." President Ronald Reagan stressed this theme of importance in his address to the National Sheriff's Association on June 21, 1984. He said, "Thank you for standing up for this nation's dream of personal freedom under the rule of law. Thank you for standing against those who would transform that dream into a nightmare of wrongdoing and lawlessness. And thank you for your service to your communities, to your country and to the cause of law and justice." To appreciate the vital function that Sheriffs continue to serve, it is useful to become acquainted with the long and diverse history of the Sheriff's Office. Here, we'll see how that office has grown and changed over the past twelve (12) centuries. Then we'll look in greater detail at the role of the Sheriff today. The Office of Sheriff is one of antiquity. With the exception of king, no non-religious office in the English-speaking world is older...

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