We learned a lot about sheriffs today, but not what we really wanted to know.
We learned that the sheriff office’s duties include overseeing security at courts, supervising jails, and executing countywide investigations and patrols.
We learned that sheriffs have been in existence since the ninth century and that the word “sheriff” comes from the Old English words “shire” and “reeve,” which eventually blended together to become “sheriff.”
We learned that Ohio’s first sheriff was named Ebenezer Sproat. He oversaw the entire eastern half of the state and was appointed in 1788. Then, in the early 1800s, Ohioans began electing their sheriffs. The rest of America soon followed.
Today, about 98 percent of the roughly 3,000 sheriffs in the United States are elected.
What we haven’t been able to find is any coherent and logical explanation as to why sheriffs are elected.
You’ll find on our front page today an article about what would happen if Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly’s indictment charges force him out of office. If it comes to that, the county would hold a special election in November and the citizens would pick a new sheriff.
According to the National Sheriff’s Association, the sheriff is “the only head of a law enforcement agency in this nation that is accountable directly to the people of his/her jurisdiction.” But what is the benefit to having a law enforcement official who is directly accountable to the people?
It seems counterintuitive that an officer of the law should have to declare a party affiliation, run a campaign and win an election in order to be deemed competent and worthy of executing his or her duties. What part of the sheriff’s job is affected by one’s status as a Democrat or Republican? Shouldn’t politics be left to those writing the laws, not the ones enforcing them?
Other than the fact that we’ve been doing it for a very long time, is there a reason we still do?
This is simply a question that’s been swirling around the office today. If you have any insight into the subject, shoot us an email at posteditorial@ohiou.edu. We’re genuinely curious.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors.
