What's the difference between a cop and a sheriff?

[Anonymous]

Does a sheriff have the same authority or powers as a cop?

[WindAtMyBack]

Cop is not an official term. It's a general term used for sheriffs, local police, highway patrol, etc.

If you mean the local police department, it's a matter of jurisdiction. The local PD has jurisdiction within the city or town. Sheriffs work for the county and have jurisdiction in the county outside the city or town.

The highway patrol have jurisdiction throughout the state, but mainly patrol the highways.

Sheriffs and highway patrol sometimes get involved in local things, but normally don't. Local PD, Sheriffs and highway patrol generally stick to their own areas.

They are all cops though. They can all arrest people. They all enforce state laws. Generally, only local PD enforce "city ordinances" which are special laws within city limits.

[Chazmatazz269]

Sheriff is elected, and he or she is the boss. Kind of like the captain of a police department. You won’t often see the sheriff in the field unless it’s a very small jurisdiction. In larger jurisdictions, you interact with deputies more often than the sheriff. Deputies are hired by the sheriff you voted for. If the electorate does a good job, they can fairly expect to trust and respect the deputies.
Cops are hired, and the citizens they’re meant to “protect and serve” have no say in the matter. Not unlike prison guards, not to put too fine a point on it. It’s difficult to trust someone who is in no way accountable to you.

[laurieluvsit]

Sheriff's have far more power than city police. Their power in their county exceeds that of federal authorities.

City police are unconstitutional.

Sheriffs were meant to handle the whole county which includes the incorporated cities in that county.

[dustybiker2]

Sheriff departments tends to be outskirt to larger cities police departments, and in my experience far more lazy.

[bolverk]

Sheriff is an elected position. He or her are the highest Law enforcement officer in their jurisdiction. Deputies work at the discretion of the Sheriff. Sheriffs Office generally runs the jail, provides court security, and serves warrants. In most counties they also provide general law enforcement service for unincorporated parts of the county.

Police work for a city and the chief is usually hired by the mayor or city council. Police provide general law enforcement service to the city only.

There are lots of overlapping jurisdictions and mutual aid agreements. It can be confusing, especially when you throw in state police or highway patrol, campus police, hospital police, specialized state criminal investigators, federal investigators, etc.

[genericname85]

i'm not an American but isn't a sheriff higher in the hierarchy than a "cop"? like cause a sheriff is actually an elected official that has juristiction over a certain area while a cop is just a day to day law enforcer?

[genericname85]

i mean as a sheriff you gotta be elected professional but you can be a cop with just a few measely months of specialized education.

[Asker]

Hank you. I'm not from the USA either. I was watching a movie and this question came to mind. I was confused, because the movie implied a sheriff was a lower rank than a cop. But I have no idea

[Asker]

Thank **nkt hank 😂

[genericname85]

naw but a cop from a different juristiction than a sheriff probably has more power on their own area. there's all sorts of struggles concerning area of juristiction in law enforcement.

[HighValue]

Cop/police officer = city, sheriff's deputy =county, highway patrol or ranger = state.

The actual elected sheriff has jurisdiction over all the cities in the county and appoints the police chief for each city in that jurisdiction. So, the sheriff has more authority that city police or police chiefs.

[DryGermanGuy]

„Cop“ is just a colloquialism for all law enforcement personnel. A sheriff is operating on county/city level. Other law enforcement is on state level (highway police) or on federal level (FBI).

[Agape93]

Cops are hired law enforcement for a local area like a town or city. A sheriff is the head of country law enforcement and is an elected official.

[Dargil]

A police officer/patrolman is typically a lower municipal rank than a Sergeant Lieutenant, Captain or Detective. A Sheriff usually has a larger jurisdiction, like a County. A Sheriff had deputies and lower ranks.

[exitseven]

It depends on where you live. The sheriff maintains the county jail and does special investigations. They have a crime lab.
The cops work for the cities and towns and are the local guys that enforce the law.

[CaptainSmartass]

A cop is a police officer, with the power to act as a constable within his territory. A sheriff is a bailiff employed by the courts to recover debts owed.

Simples...

[strateguy632]

sherrif more authority, because manages cops in towns or county.

[David94358]

Sheriff is an elected officer, they have a much larger jurisdiction, usually a whole county vs a police will have a town or city

[serious]

I think sheriff has more powers as compared to an ordinary cop.

[handsomelad70]

A cop is a law enforcement official in a city, county or state (province here), while a sheriff, at least in the U. S. is the top-ranked county police officer.

[LaurenM1997]

The sherif is the one who works at court and the cops are police

[Makeushiver]

Cops are for incorporated municipalities, sheriffs tend to unincorporated, unclaimed by any town land.

[Mangospacho]

A sheriff is elected by the people. Police (cop) are appointed by elected officials such as a mayor or city council.

[nawtee_me]

Police are usually town and city whereas sheriffs are county or perish and state are well state wide

[Booklover_90]

No. Think of the cop as an employee and the sheriff is the GM.

[HelpfulWoman]

cop= umbrella term
sheriff= more specific term

[Badgirlnatalia]

Sheriff is above a cop. Leads country no?

[Asker]

No idea. I'm not from the USA. This question came to mind after watching a movie 😂

[GoGetitGio]

Sheriff is county police is a city or town