At the County level, the Chief Law Enforcement official is the:

• A. Mayor
• B. Sheriff
• C. Police Chief
• D. Lieutenant

Answer: (B)

At the county level, the top law enforcement official is the sheriff. The sheriff is typically a countywide, elected official who heads the sheriff’s office and oversees duties across the entire county, including unincorporated areas. Responsibilities often include operating the county jail, providing security for county courts, serving warrants and civil papers, and patrolling areas outside city boundaries or coordinating with municipal agencies as needed. A mayor runs a city government, not county law enforcement. A police chief leads a city police department, serving a municipality rather than the whole county. A lieutenant is a rank within the department, not the chief executive role. Because the sheriff has broad county-wide jurisdiction and accountability, this position is the chief law enforcement official at the county level.