What is the Office of Sheriff? The responsibilities and impact of the Wake County Sheriff

Since 1776, the counties in North Carolina have elected an official into the Office of Sheriff, who then serves as the chief law enforcement officer in the county. The specific duties of a sheriff are dependent on the needs of their county and jurisdiction, but there are three general branches a sheriff is active in: law enforcement, the courts and corrections.

In North Carolina, sheriffs are elected to four-year terms with no term limits. To be elected sheriff, you have to have lived in the county for one year and not been convicted of any felony.

Certain restrictions prevent sheriffs from interfering with city and town police departments.

"Raleigh is a sovereign entity, and the reason that cities incorporate is so they can govern themselves. The sheriff, even though he's the chief law enforcement officer of the county, cannot go into a city unless he judges that the city is doing an inadequate job," said Roy Taylor, chief of police for Capitol Special Police, litigation consultant and candidate for Wake County Sheriff.

Taylor has been involved in law enforcement for more than 40 years and earned his doctorate in criminal justice in that time. Taylor is running for sheriff in the upcoming election, with the primary occurring on March 8, 2022, and the general election on November 8, 2022.

While the differences between the Office of Sheriff and a local police department may be confusing, each entity has their own responsibilities and jurisdiction. One major difference is the sheriff deals with the unincorporated areas of the county.

"Other law enforcement entities like the chief of police, or a state or a local agency are primarily out there enforcing the law, but law enforcement is only one small portion of the sheriff's job. Since the Triangle area is more dense than it used to be, there's not as much land mass that the sheriff is responsible for. But if there's a speeding complaint or reckless driving complaint in one of the more rural areas around Holly Springs or Wake Forest, then the sheriff needs to go and take care of it," said Taylor. "It operates in the same way a municipal police agency would, and the Office of Sheriff still investigates crimes like any agency would."

Additionally, the sheriff's office can help local municipalities that may be short staffed or lack the proper resources to address a certain crime.

"There are some relatively small agencies in our area. What if they have a major crime? Maybe one with multiple victims and additional investigative resources needed?" said Taylor. "They could call the county, and the sheriff's office investigators could respond to conduct the investigation and the interviews and whatever else was necessary to figure out what happened. It's a resource to the local agencies, but it's at their own request."

Aside from providing aid to the cities, towns and acting as law enforcement in unincorporated areas, the Office of Sheriff also serves civil papers, including lawsuits and divorces, as well as seizing any properties relevant to a judgement in a civil suit or executing evictions.

Another unique responsibility is running and managing the county jail.

"We've got a significant number of people who are incarcerated every day in Wake County, and they have to be clothed, fed, housed and treated for any medical conditions by the nurses or staff," said Taylor. "During my time as a lieutenant colonel for the Military Police Corps, one of our primary missions was detainee operations, where we were tasked with housing, feeding and clothing people based on their nationality and religious views. There are a number of similarities between that role and managing the county jail."

"If we have prisoners that need kosher meals, we have to provide those and respect their values and their beliefs," he continued. "It takes a sheriff that understands that in order to be able to properly administer it."

Finally, one of the last main responsibilities of the Office of Sheriff is to make sure the courthouse is safe and secure. People are not allowed to bring weapons inside, and no threats can be made to a judge. In doing so, the sheriff also makes sure the work of the court is done without any type of delay or interference.

For Taylor, participating in electing the next sheriff is an important duty for county citizens who live in towns and cities, not just the unincorporated communities.

"The Office of Sheriff makes a significant impact, not just on unincorporated communities, but also the county as a whole. I think it's incumbent upon the sheriff to be a resource to other law enforcement entities and assist in any way they possibly can," said Taylor. "In getting out to vote for the next sheriff of Wake County, people can make sure that they're putting their support behind someone who has the experience, education and competency to really make a difference."