Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Encyclopedia
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) is a joint city-county law enforcement
agency, which has primary responsibility for law enforcement
, investigation, and corrections
within the consolidated City of Jacksonville
and Duval County
, Florida
, United States
. Duval County includes the incorporated cities of Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach
, Baldwin
, Jacksonville Beach
, and Neptune Beach
; Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, and Neptune Beach have their own police departments as well.
The sheriff's office also performs the corrections duties for the county. The current sheriff
is John Rutherford
, in office since July 1, 2003. The JSO is one of the largest departments in the Southeastern United States, with 3,600 employees. Headquarters of the sheriff's office is 501 E. Bay Street Jacksonville, Florida 32202.
the city (Jacksonville Police Department) and county governments (Duval County Sheriff's Office). On October 1, 1968, the two governmental bodies were replaced with "a single unified government", the new organization, the Office of the Sheriff - Jacksonville Police, paralleled the name of the new jurisdiction. The four other municipalities within Duval County retained their own police departments. However, the Baldwin city council voted to disband their police department by 2007; at midnight on March 13, 2006, the sheriff's office took over responsibility of police services.
, a Florida
constitutional officer elected by the citizens of the county to serve a four-year term with no limit on the number of terms. The Sheriff appoints his own senior staff from Undersheriff
to Assistant Chiefs. All sworn members of the JSO are sworn in by the Sheriff and are considered under the Florida constitution as his/her deputies. All sworn members of the JSO are Law Enforcement Officers (LEO)
or Correctional Officers with all powers allowed by state law to carry firearms and make arrest. JSO also employs Community Service Officer
s, who are unsworn personnel that respond to primarily traffic-related incidents not requiring the full police powers of a sworn officer.
Commanded by the Chief of Patrol East.
Commanded by the Chief of Patrol West.
Commanded by the Chief.
The Detective Division is under the direction of the Chief of Detectives who is responsible for the overall operation of the division. The Detective Division comprises a Crimes Against Property Section and a Crimes Against Persons Section, both under the command of an Assistant Chief.
The Homeland Security & Narcotics/Vice Division is commanded by a Chief. It encompasses units and squads that include: Aviation; Bomb Squad; Canine; Dive Team; Homeland Security; Hostage Negotiators; Gang Intervention; Narcotics; Warehouse and Forfeiture Unit. Detectives also work with the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA); the Division also includes the Violent Crimes/Narcotics task force and Internet Crimes Against Children investigations. The Division has two sections, both led by an Assistant Chief.
County sheriff (Florida)
The County sheriff is a Florida constitutional officer and a part of the state judicial branch.The Sheriff has a duty to enforce both the Florida Constitution and Florida state laws and statutes, and to provide for the security, safety and well being of its citizens...
agency, which has primary responsibility for law enforcement
Code Enforcement
Code enforcement, sometimes encompassing law enforcement, is the act of enforcing a set of rules, principles, or laws and insuring observance of a system of norms or customs. An authority usually enforces a civil code, a set of rules, or a body of laws and compel those subject to their authority...
, investigation, and corrections
Corrections
In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies and involving the punishment, treatment, and supervision of persons who have been convicted of crimes....
within the consolidated City of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and Duval County
Duval County, Florida
Duval County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 864,263. Its county seat is Jacksonville, with which the Duval County government has been consolidated since 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Duval County includes the incorporated cities of Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach, Florida
Atlantic Beach, a city in Duval County, Florida, is the northernmost of the Jacksonville Beaches communities. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with Jacksonville, Florida in 1968, Atlantic Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Baldwin, Florida,...
, Baldwin
Baldwin, Florida
Baldwin is a town in Duval County, Florida, United States. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with Jacksonville, Florida in 1968, Baldwin, along with Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Neptune Beach, Florida, remained quasi-independent...
, Jacksonville Beach
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Jacksonville Beach is a city on the Atlantic coast of Duval County, Florida, east of Jacksonville. It is part of the Jacksonville Beaches community, together with Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Ponte Vedra Beach...
, and Neptune Beach
Neptune Beach, Florida
Neptune Beach is a beachfront city in Duval County, Florida, United States, located to the east of Jacksonville. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with the city of Jacksonville in 1968, Neptune Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Baldwin, remained...
; Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, and Neptune Beach have their own police departments as well.
The sheriff's office also performs the corrections duties for the county. The current sheriff
Sheriffs in the United States
In the United States, a sheriff is a county official and is typically the top law enforcement officer of a county. Historically, the sheriff was also commander of the militia in that county. Distinctive to law enforcement in the United States, sheriffs are usually elected. The political election of...
is John Rutherford
John Rutherford (sheriff)
John Henry Rutherford is a career law enforcement officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. He has served as Duval County Sheriff since his election to the office in 2003; his current term expires in 2014.-Education:...
, in office since July 1, 2003. The JSO is one of the largest departments in the Southeastern United States, with 3,600 employees. Headquarters of the sheriff's office is 501 E. Bay Street Jacksonville, Florida 32202.
Mission
According to the sheriff's office, its mission is to "protect the lives and property of the citizens of this community, to preserve the peace and to prevent crime and disorder while constantly guarding personal liberties as prescribed by law."History
In 1967 a mandate was given by residents of Jacksonville and Duval County with 65 percent of the votes cast in favor of consolidatingJacksonville Consolidation
The Jacksonville Consolidation was the city-county consolidation of the governments of the City of Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida. It was effected on October 1, 1968.-Background:...
the city (Jacksonville Police Department) and county governments (Duval County Sheriff's Office). On October 1, 1968, the two governmental bodies were replaced with "a single unified government", the new organization, the Office of the Sheriff - Jacksonville Police, paralleled the name of the new jurisdiction. The four other municipalities within Duval County retained their own police departments. However, the Baldwin city council voted to disband their police department by 2007; at midnight on March 13, 2006, the sheriff's office took over responsibility of police services.
Organization
The JSO is headed by the SheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, a Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
constitutional officer elected by the citizens of the county to serve a four-year term with no limit on the number of terms. The Sheriff appoints his own senior staff from Undersheriff
Undersheriff
An Undersheriff is an office derived from ancient British practice and still extant in, among other places, the United Kingdom and the United States, though somewhat different forms.-United States:...
to Assistant Chiefs. All sworn members of the JSO are sworn in by the Sheriff and are considered under the Florida constitution as his/her deputies. All sworn members of the JSO are Law Enforcement Officers (LEO)
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
or Correctional Officers with all powers allowed by state law to carry firearms and make arrest. JSO also employs Community Service Officer
Community Service Officer
A Community Service Officer , provides support in crime prevention, investigation, and response where full police powers are unnecessary and assists police officers in upholding law and order.-History:...
s, who are unsworn personnel that respond to primarily traffic-related incidents not requiring the full police powers of a sworn officer.
Departments
The sheriff's office is divided into five departments, each sub-divided into divisions, sections, units, zones, and squads. Each Department is commanded by a director with the rank Director of a Department. Each division is commanded by a Chief. The Department and its sections are as follows.Department of Patrol & Enforcement
There are three divisions in this department, and the director holds the title of Director of Patrol and EnforcementPatrol East Division
Commanded by the Chief of Patrol East.
- Zone 1-Assistant Chief|Zone Commander
- Zone 2-Assistant Chief|Zone Commander
- Zone 3-Assistant Chief|Zone Commander
Patrol West Division
Commanded by the Chief of Patrol West.
- Zone 4-Assistant Chief|Zone Commander
- Zone 5-Assistant Chief|Zone Commander
- Zone 6-Assistant Chief|Zone Commander
Community Affairs & Special Events Division
Commanded by the Chief.
- Community Affairs-Assistant Chief
- Special Events-Assistant Chief
Department of Investigations & Homeland Security
There are three divisions in this department, and the director holds the title of Director of the Department of Investigations & Homeland Security.Detective Division
The Detective Division is under the direction of the Chief of Detectives who is responsible for the overall operation of the division. The Detective Division comprises a Crimes Against Property Section and a Crimes Against Persons Section, both under the command of an Assistant Chief.
- Crimes Against Property
- Burglary Unit - The Burglary Unit investigates all business and residential burglaries as well as thefts over a certain dollar amount. These squads are assigned to the geographic patrol zones.
- Polygraph Unit - Polygraph Unit is staffed by polygraphists who administer polygraph examinations to suspects, victims, and witnesses involved in criminal investigations. They also administer polygraph examinations for police and other job applicants as part of their background investigation process.
- Economic Crimes - The Economic Crimes Unit investigates forgeries, frauds, including internet fraud, bank fraud and credit card fraud, along with identity theft, con games, and other economic crimes.
- Crime Scene Unit - The Crime Scene Unit is staffed by Evidence Technicians.
- Latent Print Unit - The Latent Print Unit is staffed by latent print examiners who play a vital role in the investigation, identification, and conviction of criminal offenders.
- Photo Lab - The Photo Lab is staffed by Police Photographers who are responsible for processing, printing and maintaining all crime scene photographs.
- Crimes Against Persons
- Homicide Unit- The Homicide Unit handles current cases while one team handles cold case investigations. The "hot" teams investigate cases such as murder, manslaughter, suicide, accidental death (except traffic crashes), in‑custody deaths, any death of a suspicious or undetermined nature or a death in which a doctor will not sign the death certificate as well as any incident (except traffic crashes) resulting in life threatening injury. The homicide unit also investigates officer involved shooting incidents, no matter how serious the injury, and incidents when an officer has been shot or seriously injured.
- Cold Case Unit - The Cold Case Team reviews all requests for an investigation, provided the original detective, or reassigned detective is no longer in the Homicide Unit and there is no other active ongoing investigation.
- Missing Persons Unit - The Missing Persons Unit is under the direction of the Homicide Unit commander.
- Robbery Unit - Detectives are tasked with the investigation of the crimes of armed robbery, unarmed or "strong-arm" robbery, home-invasion robbery, carjacking, and a relatively new Florida statute covering the crime of "robbery by sudden snatching." Additionally, the Robbery Unit oversees the enforcement of the Jacksonville Business Security Code and the Florida Convenience Business Security Act.
- Traffic Homicide Unit - The Traffic HomicideTraffic Homicide InvestigatorA Traffic Homicide Investigator is a term used primarily in the United States of America for a police employee, generally a sworn law enforcement officer, who is assigned to investigate fatalities resulting from motor vehicle collisions.- Overview :...
Unit is responsible for investigating traffic fatalities, and hit and run crashes with serious bodily injury. - Auto Theft Unit - The Auto Theft Unit handles approximately auto theft investigations a year many of which result in civil disputes. The unit also investigates thefts of marine craft, all terrain vehicles, motorcycles and aircraft
- Traffic Homicide Unit - The Traffic Homicide
- Sex Crimes Unit - The Sex Crimes Unit detectives are tasked with the investigation of all felony sexual assaults, as well as crimes involving child pornography and lewd and lascivious acts.
- Family Violence and Child Abuse Unit - The responsibility of the Family Violence Unit is to investigate incidents of child abuseChild abuseChild abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, child neglectChild neglectChild neglect is defined as:# "the failure of a person responsible for a child’s care and upbringing to safeguard the child’s emotional and physical health and general well-being"...
, domestic violenceDomestic violenceDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, elderly abuse, elderly neglectNeglectNeglect is a passive form of abuse in which a perpetrator is responsible to provide care for a victim who is unable to care for himself or herself, but fails to provide adequate care....
and financial exploitation of the elderly. - Fugitive Unit - The duties of the Fugitive and Transportation Unit consist of returning wanted suspects who have been arrested in other jurisdictions to face outstanding local charges, transporting inmates for legal proceedings from one secure facility to another as directed by the courts, handling the extradition and rendition proceedings for fugitives arrested locally and in other jurisdictions, and serving writs of bodily attachment.
- Victim Services Coordinator - The Victim Services Coordinator provides assistance to all crime victims, witnesses, survivors, and their significant others. The coordinator also provides short-term crisis intervention and counseling for law enforcement.
- Family Violence and Child Abuse Unit - The responsibility of the Family Violence Unit is to investigate incidents of child abuse
- Homicide Unit- The Homicide Unit handles current cases while one team handles cold case investigations. The "hot" teams investigate cases such as murder, manslaughter, suicide, accidental death (except traffic crashes), in‑custody deaths, any death of a suspicious or undetermined nature or a death in which a doctor will not sign the death certificate as well as any incident (except traffic crashes) resulting in life threatening injury. The homicide unit also investigates officer involved shooting incidents, no matter how serious the injury, and incidents when an officer has been shot or seriously injured.
Homeland Security & Narcotics/Vice Division
The Homeland Security & Narcotics/Vice Division is commanded by a Chief. It encompasses units and squads that include: Aviation; Bomb Squad; Canine; Dive Team; Homeland Security; Hostage Negotiators; Gang Intervention; Narcotics; Warehouse and Forfeiture Unit. Detectives also work with the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA); the Division also includes the Violent Crimes/Narcotics task force and Internet Crimes Against Children investigations. The Division has two sections, both led by an Assistant Chief.
- Narcotics/Vice-Assistant Chief
- Tactical Support/Canines/Homeland and Seaport Security/Mounted/Aviation-Assistant Chief
Department of Police Services
A Director leads the Department of Police Services. There are three divisions in this department.- Budget & Management Division-Chief
- Police Support Services Division-Chief
- Central Records-Assistant Chief
- Communications-Assistant Chief
- Logistic/General Support-Assistant Chief
- Court Security-Lt.
Department of Personnel & Professional Standards
A Director leads the Department of Personnel & Professional Standards. There are two divisions in this department.- Personnel Division-Chief
- Professional Standards Division-Chief
- Academy Director-Assistant Chief
Department of Corrections
The Director of this department holds the title of Director of Corrections. The Department of Corrections has more than 600 certified corrections officers and civilian personnel with three correctional facilities in Duval County. The largest is the John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility (PTDF) located in downtown Jacksonville. It is a twelve-story building with an inmate capacity of 2,189. The others are the Montgomery Correctional Center (MCC); and the Community Transions Center (CTC). There are two divisions within this department:- Jails Division-Chief of the Jail
- Jails-Assistant Chief
- Prisons Division-Chief of Prisons
- CTC-Assistant Chief
- MCC-Assistant Chief
Rank structure of the Sheriff's Office
| Rank | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Sheriff |  |
| Undersheriff |  |
| Director |  |
| Chief |  |
| Assistant Chief |  |
| Captain | |
| Lieutenant |  |
| Sergeant |  |
| Master Patrolman / Community Service Corporal |
 |
| Senior Patrolman |  |
| Officer / Detective |