Sheriff -

Next time you see a Sheriff’s cruiser with the five-pointed star (the universal symbol of the office, representing the five original senses of justice: Sight, Hearing, Touch, Smell, and Conscience), remember: you are looking at the oldest law enforcement office in the world, still trying to keep the peace one county at a time.

Each shire needed a direct representative of the crown. That representative was known as the "Shire Reeve." Sheriff

So, American states re-invented the Sheriff. Instead of being an appointed agent of the King, the Sheriff became an elected agent of the people . This was a radical shift. The United States became the first country in the world where citizens voted for their top local law enforcement officer. That tradition—the elected Sheriff—remains unique to the United States today. The period from 1865 to 1900 cemented the Sheriff in global pop culture. During the expansion west, the federal government was weak, and the U.S. Army was too busy fighting Native American tribes to police the mining camps and cattle towns. The Sheriff was the only thing standing between civilization and chaos. Next time you see a Sheriff’s cruiser with

However, the office persists for one reason: Americans distrust centralized power. Having a local Sheriff who lives on your street, whose kids go to your school, and who answers to your vote is a feature, not a bug. Instead of being an appointed agent of the