# Would we lose anything if we ended all Sheriff's departments? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 6, 2024, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347 "2024-08-06T20:02:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/121 "2024-08-09T03:30:02Z")
I think that is a unique situation. Or, at least, rare. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/122 "2024-08-09T03:33:15Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Put another way, why not incorporate? It is expensive. Look, there is a larger town nearby- they cant afford to hire and train their own police, they contract out to the LA County Sheriffs- this is not uncommon. > [@DrDeth](#): > > My taxes are no lower. Some county taxes are only for unincorporated areas. Mind you- in some cities in my county the taxes could be higher- or even lower. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/123 "2024-08-09T03:34:27Z")
In Arkansas all LE goes through the same training. They have to have graduated highschool. Easier to get hired with some military background. Not saying they’re all the sharpest tacks in the box. I think for the most part they’re ok. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/124 "2024-08-09T03:38:08Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Look, there is a larger town nearby- they cant afford to hire and train their own police, they contract out to the LA County Sheriffs- this is not uncommon Which BTW would seem to point to the various smaller towns that incorporated themselves just so the City Of Los Angeles would not absorb them, being a good deal for the LA County Sherriff. In the end it’s the residents and businesses of those towns that end up paying the taxes to pay the contract anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/125 "2024-08-09T03:38:33Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It is expensive. Look, there is a larger town nearby- they cant afford to hire and train their own police, they contract out to the LA County Sheriffs- this is not uncommon. Pay for your own police protections. We’re good. If you want to live in unincorporated land then you do not get the benefits those who live in incorporated places do. Seems pretty simple to me. Pay for your own police. Same as everyone else in the country does. Or, go without as you like. Up to you. Cities are subsidizing your police (sheriff deputies) coverage. If you want to be free and pay no taxes then fine. You get no police or fire protection. Take the good with the bad. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/126 "2024-08-09T03:40:39Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > If you want to live in unincorporated land then you do not get the benefits those who live in incorporated places do. Seems pretty simple to me. > > Pay for your own police. Same as everyone else in the country does. Or, go without as you like. Up to you. As we have explained over in over, people in unincorporated areas do pay for their own police- they are called County Sheriffs. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Cities are subsidizing your police (sheriff deputies) coverage. You know I asked you to back this up with a cite, and you admitted you could not. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/127 "2024-08-09T03:42:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > As we have explained over in over, people in unincorporated areas do pay for their own police- they are called County Sheriffs. And has been explained over and over your protection is subsidized by others in the county (with some rare exceptions). Pay your due. > [@DrDeth](#): > > You know I asked you to back this up with a cite, and you admitted you could not. I do where I live. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/128 "2024-08-09T03:45:18Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I think that is a unique situation. Or, at least, rare. Again, you are making assumptions with no evidence. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/129 "2024-08-09T03:46:27Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > And has been explained over and over your protection is subsidized by others in the county (with some rare exceptions). No, it is not. I pay higher county taxes than my neighbors in the nearby town. There are loads of 'special assessments" on my bill they do not have. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I do where I live. No, you did not . > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > That said, I am having a weirdly hard time trying to find the numbers on this. You’d think it should be easy to find how much a given public service costs and how it is funded but I’m not finding it on a quick search. I am willing to bet the info is out there but it should not be this hard to get it. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/130 "2024-08-09T03:48:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > No, you did not . Did you show otherwise? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/131 "2024-08-09T03:49:56Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Cities are subsidizing your police (sheriff deputies) coverage. Wait?! Are you implying people in cities do not get the benefit of a sheriff’s department in addition to city police? I’ve told you how that is wrong so yet again, we had a rattlesnake in a city dog park. Officer Bimbeau couldn’t do it so the sheriff had to. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/132 "2024-08-09T03:51:46Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Again, you are making assumptions with no evidence. I’m not doing this. The evidence is above. As noted counties and cities/towns can have weird relationships. Most cities/towns reside in a county. But there are exceptions and it seems you want to pile on the rare exceptions. I’m done with that, I think it has been addressed. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/133 "2024-08-09T03:51:59Z")
I pay for mine as well. And they perform many many services city police do not. For the good of the whole county. All the cities and towns in the county. All of them. Simple as that. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/134 "2024-08-09T03:53:52Z")
But you do not pay for police. I pay for both. There is an overlap. I get to pay for police and sheriffs and you get to pay for sheriffs. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/135 "2024-08-09T03:56:49Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I’m not doing this. The evidence is above. As noted counties and cities/towns can have weird relationships. Most, cities/towns reside in a county. WTF are you going on about? You said that being unable to incorporate is unique or rare. I gave evidence that, at least in Colorado, the inability to incorporate is not at all rare. Where is YOUR evidence that it is relatively easy to incorporate? The digression of if cities are in counties and their relationship has nothing to do with what you are assuming about incorporation. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/136 "2024-08-09T03:57:29Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > There is an overlap. I get to pay for police and sheriffs and you get to pay for sheriffs. And you get services from both. So what’s the problem? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/137 "2024-08-09T04:01:14Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I gave evidence that, at least in Colorado, the inability to incorporate is not at all rare. Are you saying Colorado refuses to let towns incorporate? Or just that they have to jump through some hoops? I’m willing to bet there is a process for that. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > And you get services from both. So what’s the problem? I pay for police to catch me speeding. Why do I have to pay for sheriffs to catch me speeding? Seems they are doing the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/138 "2024-08-09T04:03:35Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Are you saying Colorado refuses to let town incorporate? Or just that they have to jump through some hoops? Did you even read it? They have to meet certain requirement that many areas in the state cannot meet. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I pay for police to catch me speeding. Why do I have to pay for sheriffs to catch me speeding? > > Seems they are doing the same thing. I answered that earlier Seriously, are your reading the other posts because it seems like you’re not. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/139 "2024-08-09T04:04:58Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Seriously, are your reading the other posts because it seems like you’re not. Back atcha. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347/140 "2024-08-09T04:12:47Z")
Wait. Doesn’t most City government get their funds from sales taxes paid in the area? Where do you think people who live where there are no Walmarts, Targets, gas stations, restaurants and malls shop? Your municipal taxes pay for the city pool or golf course, I guess. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-we-lose-anything-if-we-ended-all-sheriffs-departments/1005347.md?page=8)