Some sheriffs kept multiple deputies on hand and this system became the foundation for the modern county police force still found in some counties.
As these western towns became more populated and organized, the town governments were able to organize more traditional city police departments. These city police departments were sometimes given authority over some of the duties traditionally left to sheriffs. Sheriffs were then relied on for regulation of affairs outside city limits such as maintenance of roads. However, even these inter-city duties came to be assigned to State law enforcement bodies such as the highway patrol.
Presently, the relationship between sheriffs, city police departments, and state police bodies vary widely from state to state and even county to county. In some situations, sheriffs serve as the leaders of a consolidated city and county police department. In other situations,...
Perhaps the sheriff's traditional ability to enforce law and pursue criminals outside of city boundaries has given it a special value to city and state governments. With the increasing sophistication and mobility of criminal enterprises, the sheriff will likely remain a feature of law enforcement in the United States.
Bibliography
http://www.correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/sheriff/toc.htm
In the United States, a sheriff is generally, but
