eli5 What’s the difference between a police officer and a sheriff?

Question

eli5 What’s the difference between a police officer and a sheriff?

In: 146

Answer 1

Typically, police are municipal level (city) while sheriffs are county level. In rural places and unincorporated areas, sheriffs may be primary law enforcement but in urban and suburban areas where there are city police then the primary role of sheriffs are typically to run the county’s jails, court security, and transport of prisoners between jails and courts.