What's the deal with NC Law enforcement (Raleigh, Wake Forest: transporting, crime)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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Sheriff works for the county and is an elected position. They don't do much enforcement, more of the "custodial" duties like transporting prisoners and serving warrants. They are called for things outside of city limits or if they are the closest in an emergency situation.
City police is pretty typical.
State police, or State Highway Patrol, will come in to play for most people simply as kings of the speed trap. They have the toughest training and do a bit more than run radar but its likely all you will ever notice them for.
I'm moving to Pittsboro in the fall. I noticed 3 different police forces patrolling NC roads.
Local Pittsboro Police
Chatham County Sheriffs office
And State police.
What are the role differences between Pittsboro Police and Chatham County's Sheriffs office?
-TY
That is pretty standard for most areas. Here are you from that doesn't have city police, county sheriffs for out of city areas and then a state police (also sometimes called 'state troopers')?
From what I can tell from watching the Andy Griffith show, it breaks down like this...
The Sheriff takes care of all the misdeeds that may occur from time to time (mostly moonshinin'). He also often jails prisoners for the State Police for some reason.
The State Police pretty much handle any crime that crosses county borders, like jewel thieves that go from town to town.
From what I can tell from watching the Andy Griffith show, it breaks down like this...
The Sheriff takes care of all the misdeeds that may occur from time to time (mostly moonshinin'). He also often jails prisoners for the State Police for some reason.
The State Police pretty much handle any crime that crosses county borders, like jewel thieves that go from town to town.
Raleigh Police Department- handles all calls, issues within city limits. A city police officer has the widest range of duties of any officer and is the busiest because most of the citizens live within city limits and the city is also where the bulk of incidents occur.
Wake County Sheriff Office- handles all calls, issues that occur outside the jurisdiction of any city but still inside of Wake County. The Sheriff Office will also usually run the county jail.
North Carolina Highway Patrol- their jurisdiction extends anywhere in North Carolina. Like another poster said, they primarily deal with traffic enforcement because they aren't dispatched 911 calls and calls for service like the other two agencies. They still assist with many calls and in really rural areas they often have roles similar to those of a city police officer.
The Sheriff is the top law enforcement officer in the county and enjoys certain powers and responsibilities that the other officers do not.
For example, if you live in Raleigh and want to buy a pistol, you don't go to the Raleigh PD for a permit. You must go to the sheriff for this.
In some counties (maybe even Wake, I don't know for sure) the Sheriff can assert jurisdiction over other law enforcement agencies operating within his county, including local and federal law enforcement.
Each town is different. We are a small town, so the sheriff assigns a couple of his men and our town pays for it. That saves us a lot of money. The duties are assigned according to the agency and in our county the sheriff can give out traffic tickets also. Then there are SBI agents which is a state organization like the FBI but only does enforcement in our state.
When you see them all parked in an area together, you know something big is up and they are about to make the news. They really back each other up and we are happy about that.
When you are driving the people you really have to look out for are the state troopers and the city policemen. They will catch you if they can.
the general hierarchy of law Enforcement in NC is:
State Trooper
County Sheriff
City Cop
If you are a law abiding citizen the only thing u need know is "9 you're fine, 10 you're mine"
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