Sheriff strives to serve and protect public, maintain professionalism in Sheriff’s Office

Editor:

Today’s sheriffs are proud of the rich history of their office. It is one of the oldest institutions in America, dating back to Biblical times.

The modern office of sheriff in the United States descends from a one-thousand-year-old English tradition: a “shire-reeve” (shire-keeper) is the oldest appointment of the English crown.

Because county governments were typically the first established units of government in newly settled American territories, sheriffs were among the first elected public officials in an area and thus developed a leading role in local law enforcement.

Most sheriffs are elected every four years. It is this election process that makes the Office of Sheriff unique to all of law enforcement. These elections make most of the 3,085 county Sheriffs throughout the United States directly accountable to the people they serve.

We represent the highest order of law enforcement in Orleans County and answer directly to the people. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Department strives to do the following:

• Serve and Protect the citizens of Orleans County;

• Provide a safe and secure jail, providing necessary treatment to better prepare inmates to reenter society;

• Be visible and accessible;

• Maintain peace and order in Orleans County;

• Provide professional public safety dispatching;

• Properly receive and execute all legal and civil processes referred to the Office of the Sheriff;

• Deliver effective law enforcement services to all citizens of Orleans County;

• Support and Defend the Constitution of the United States of America.

This week is “Sheriff’s Week.” Activities planned include:

• Lunch with a Deputy Sheriff and students at all county schools;

• Yellow DOT program presentation at three Nutri-fair sites (Albion, Lyndonville and Kendall)

• Village and Town Park clean up detail by the inmates of the Orleans County Jail.

Randy Bower

Orleans County Sheriff