# What is the difference between the Police and the Sherrif? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 21, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-the-police-and-the-sherrif/251480 "2004-06-21T17:48:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-the-police-and-the-sherrif/251480/21 "2004-06-22T20:32:16Z")
> [@](#): > > I believe the Sheriff can arrest him But what if the High Bailiff needed to be arrested after arresting the sheriff? The Sheriff couldn’t issue an arrest warrant from jail (I’m assuming.) ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-the-police-and-the-sherrif/251480/22 "2004-06-22T20:51:33Z")
> [@I Love Me](#): > > While we’re at it-- does California have a State Police department? If so, is it called the California Highway Patrol, or is that something different? Is there also a State Bureau of Investigation (like Georgia has the GBI) or is that the CHP??? There is indeed something called the California State Police, and it’s different from the Highway Patrol. The Highway Patrol patrols the state, US, and interstate highways (duh!). They do all regular police-type things on the highways. The State Police protect state buildings, such as the Capitol in Sacramento. They provide security for state officials, such as the governor. Ed ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-the-police-and-the-sherrif/251480/23 "2004-06-22T21:05:47Z")
According to the California Highway Patrol’s [Web site](http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/merger.html), the California State Police was merged into the C.H.P. in 1995. “Highway Patrol” – Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wyoming “State Troopers” – Alaska “State Police” – Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia “State Patrol” – Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Washington, Wisconsin “State Highway Patrol” – Ohio Usually, the ones named “State Police” have greater jurisdiction within their respective states than the others do. I know for one that the Ohio State Highway Patrol has severely limited jurisdiction. They aren’t superior to sheriffs or police departments around the state. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-the-police-and-the-sherrif/251480/24 "2004-06-22T21:43:26Z")
In Massachusetts, county sherrifs are responsible for the county jails, houses of correction (juvenile prisons) and the courthouses. They do their job mostly poorly…many of them are indicted for stealing county property, taking bribes,etc. A useless institution that should be abolished! ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-the-police-and-the-sherrif/251480/25 "2004-06-22T23:55:48Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > According to the California Highway Patrol’s [Web site](http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/merger.html), the California State Police was merged into the C.H.P. in 1995. Hmm, I guess it’s been longer than I thought since my trip to Sacramento when I saw the State Police officers. Ed [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-the-police-and-the-sherrif/251480.md?page=1)