Colorado sheriffs
Sheriff is an elected position in the state of Colorado according to the state's constitution.
Election
A sheriff is elected for a four year term in each county. Before he or she enters office he will create a bond, with at least three sufficient sureties, between $5,000 and $20,000, that the board of county commissioners specifies and approves. No person will be considered a surety who is not worth at least $2,000 over and above his or her debts.[1]
Government roles
Every person elected or appointed to the office of sheriff for the first time will attend a minimum of 80 hours of a training course the first time a training course is given after the person's election or appointment.
Every sheriff must possess basic peace officer certification and shall undergo at least 20 hours of in-service training provided by the county sheriffs of Colorado every year during such sheriff's term.
The county only pays all reasonable costs and expenses of these training sessions.[2]
Only U.S. citizens, Colorado citizens and residents of the county in which they are appointed or elected may serve as sheriff. He or she must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent or a college degree and must have a complete set of fingerprints taken.[3]
The sheriff has charge and custody of the county jails and of the prisoners in the jails. The sheriff will supervise them personally or a deputy or jailer will supervise them.[4]
The sheriff is also fire warden of his or her county in case of prairie or forest fires.[5]
The sheriff is in charge of transporting prisoners to a correctional facility or other place of confinement who may have been convicted and sentenced and who are ready for such transportation. If any sheriff fails or neglects to do this, the boards of county commissioners can take away this responsibility. This does not apply to the transportation of the insane.[6]
The sheriffs, undersheriffs, and deputies must keep and preserve the peace in their counties quiet and suppress all frays, riots, and unlawful assemblies and insurrections. They can command anyone to their aid that they see necessary to do their duties.[7]
Position overview
The sheriff enforces the law and is an officer of the court charged with the duty of carrying out the orders and decrees of the court. The sheriff is "an executive officer, whose sole duty is to execute, and not to decide on the truth or sufficiency of the processes committed to him for service."
Government sector lobbying
Colorado sheriffs can belong to the County Sheriffs of Colorado organization, which is a government sector lobbying organization.
External links
Footnotes
