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Did you know that in the United States, there is a type of law enforcement agent known as
a sheriff? There are two big differences between sheriffs and police officers in the U.S.:
First, sheriffs are county officials and police officers are city officials. Second, in the
U.S. the county sheriff is an elected position for a term ranging from two to six years,
depending on the state. Chiefs of police, on the other hand, are appointed by a city's
mayor. The political election of a person to serve as a police leader is an almost uniquely
American tradition. Sheriffs and police officers usually have the same law enforcement training.
They both patrol their areas, enforce the laws, and apprehend criminals, but sheriffs
typically also work in jails and courthouses. For example, sheriffs' departments are usually
responsible for running and maintaining prisons. Sheriffs' departments vary widely in size.
America's most sparsely populated, rural areas might have only a two-person sheriff's office.
On the other hand, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in California is the
largest sheriff's department in the world, with 16,400 members an annual budget of $2.4
billion. Both police departments and sheriffs' offices work closely with area residents in
crime prevention strategies using a method called "community policing" or "public trust
policing." This means law enforcement agencies try to include the general public in crime
prevention, decision making, and information sharing. For example, the Neighborhood Watch
Program is very popular in the United States. This program is sponsored by the National
Sheriffs' Association and teaches citizens how to identify and report suspicious activity
in their neighborhoods. This is a voluntary program where residents give their free time
to their community. In some areas, neighbors get together during the week and walk around
the area, looking for street lights that have gone out, signs that have fallen down, and
alleys that are dark and unsafe, and they report these to city authorities so improvements
can be made to keep the neighborhood safe. Often a police officer or sheriff will walk
around with them and attend neighborhood meetings to hear concerns directly from residents and
share information about what local law enforcement is working on.