The Caroline County Sheriff's Office (CCSD) is the primary law enforcement agency servicing 32,617 people within 320.14 square miles (829.2 km2) of Caroline County, Maryland.
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History
The offices of the Caroline County Sheriff's Office are housed within the Caroline County Correctional Facility, located in Denton, Maryland. The original building (Center Portion) was constructed in 1906. Total capacity at that time was 24 inmates. In fact, in 1913 a prisoner was sentenced to death and hung on these grounds.
In 1938 Sheriff William E. Andrew was elected and served for 23 years until his death in 1961. His son Louis Andrew completed his father's term and was officially elected as Sheriff in the next election. When Sheriff Louis Andrew began his term he had only one deputy. During these times the Sheriff and his family resided at the jail. There were no guards employed in the jail facility. During his 34 years as Sheriff his force grew to 17 Deputies.
In 1982 the East wing was erected creating 15 correctional officer positions. In 1996 the West wing was erected creating 11 more correctional officer positions. These additions increased inmate capacity to 142. Charles L. Andrew, the son of Sheriff Louis Andrew, later served as the "Superintendent of the Caroline County Corrections Department until 2008.
Sheriff Philip L. Brown began his term in January 1995 at which time the Caroline County Corrections Department and the Caroline County Sheriff's Office became two separate entities. The Sheriff's Office today consists of administration, patrol, criminal investigations, narcotics, Canine, Court Security, Civil Process, Teen Court, and Records. Due to the expanding growth and needs of Caroline County the Sheriff's Office is expected grow to meet the citizens needs and call for service volume.
Additional history
The citizens they serve and protect elect the sheriffs in Maryland's 23 counties and Baltimore City. Sheriffs are the only law enforcement officials in the state who answer directly to the people. Their proud heritage of service to the people of Maryland can be traced back to 1634 when the first Sheriff's Office in America was established in St. Mary's County.
Those first Sheriffs were appointed by the Maryland State Governor. However, since 1776, with the exception of a period between the War of 1812 and 1867, Maryland's Constitution has required that all sheriffs be elected. In 1925, the General Assembly lengthened the Sheriff's term of office from two to four years, a change that remains in effect today.
Sheriffs were the primary law enforcement officials in most Maryland jurisdictions up until the early 1920s. During this period the Maryland State Police were organized (to be only a "supportive" agency in policing rural areas and highway patrol), as were many county police departments. As a result, the duties of the sheriff's office began to evolve into the operations that are found throughout the state today.
Regardless of their primary duties, Sheriffs remain the state's chief law enforcement officials wherever they serve. This authority to represent the sovereignty of the state dates back to a time when the Sheriff was the King's man in the shires of medieval England.
In the 21st century, the duties of the Sheriff fall into three main categories:
Today, Sheriffs remain the primary law enforcement official in all Maryland communities. The state's 24 Sheriffs and their more than 1,600 deputies are sworn police officers, graduates of certified police academies, and have the same powers as other Maryland law enforcement officials to make arrests and detain lawbreakers. Even more if you include police action that only Sheriff's can execute by the courts.
In unincorporated areas of the state, the Sheriff frequently provides all law enforcement services. In other jurisdictions, the Sheriff's primary daily duties may be limited to routine patrol and accident and criminal investigations.
However, even in jurisdictions where other organizations, such as the county or state police, have law enforcement responsibilities, the sheriffs retain their Maryland constitutional powers as the chief law enforcement agency in that county. This means sheriffs and their deputies will respond anytime, anywhere, they observe the commission of a crime or see a citizen in need of assistance. In addition, if the Sheriff wishes to take over an investigation that another police agency is conducting, for instance a municipal, county, or state police agency, the Sheriff and/or his/her deputies can supersede that agency and take over the investigation. This is what is meant by Maryland sheriffs are the"primary law enforcement official" in all Maryland communities.
Like their counterparts in law enforcement organizations throughout the nation, today's sheriffs may find a need for specialized training and equipment to meet the challenges of modern police work. Some of the specialized skills Maryland Sheriffs have developed to better serve the citizens in their jurisdictions are expertise in emergency medicine, special weapons and tactics, computer and radar technology, SCUBA diving, aviation, boating, communications and facility with foreign languages.
Sheriffs maintain the safety and security of Maryland's courts. A Sheriff or deputy may be required to attend all court sessions; to act as bailiff; to take charge of juries whenever they are outside the courtroom and to extradite prisoners. Today's Sheriffs, like their historical counterparts, also carry out such unenviable but necessary court-related functions as serving subpoenas, summonses, warrants, writs or civil process; enforcing money decrees (such as those relating to child support payments, garnishment of wages or sale of property); and collecting taxes.
Maintaining detention facilities and their populations is a challenge faced by many Maryland Sheriffs. Complying with today's strict prison standards in often overcrowded and sometimes outdated facilities make the job even tougher. Whether those being detained are simply waiting for a hearing or trial or "serving time," incarcerating them requires specially trained supervisory and support staff.
While several counties throughout the state have constructed, or in the process of constructing, modern jails, other jurisdictions still have to make do with older facilities. Regardless of the facility, Maryland's Sheriffs are committed to the safety and welfare of the inmates that have been entrusted to them. This commitment is earning Sheriffs and their departments increased respect and recognition as jail administration professionals.
Organization
The current sheriff is Randy Bounds. The CCSD currently consists of 32 sworn officers and civilian support staff. The agency is divided into seven divisions: