Delaware County Sheriff's Office

About

Official page of Delaware County (Ohio) Sheriff's Office.
Russell L. Martin, Sheriff
Site is monitored regularly but not 24/7.

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ABOUT US:
Established in the early 1800s, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office has an extensive set of responsibilities to those it serves. By statute the office must provide corrections on a countywide basis, common pleas court services, and full police protection to the unincorporated areas of the county.

The office of Sheriff has become the oldest law enforcement position in the country. Sheriffs are elected on the county level by the people they serve. Col. Solomon Smith was elected as the first sheriff of Delaware County in 1808. Today Sheriff is the only remaining law enforcement office filled through the election method.

The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for the transportation of inmates to and from the county jail. In Delaware County, the first county jail was built in 1878 at a cost of $25,845. Originally on West Central Avenue, today the jail is located on US 42 North.

In each of Ohio’s 88 counties, the Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer. The office must provide line law enforcement. In the 1960s the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office established the County Mounted Deputy Sheriffs, Inc. Mounted deputies can access areas where traditional police vehicles cannot due to space limitations or congestion. In Delaware County, the mounted patrol is funded by private donations.

In 1972 the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office assumed the additional responsibility of Emergency Medical Services. Later specialized firefighters and paramedics would take over this duty. It is still the responsibility of the Office’s dive team along with the county’s dive team to respond to emergencies in the county’s four reservoirs and numerous ponds, creeks and rivers. The Canine Unit, established in 1993 is responsible for searching and locating drugs and missing or wanted persons.

The Sheriff’s detective division is responsible for conducting all criminal investigations. The weight enforcement division ensures that commercial vehicles are not violating set weight limits. The Drug Task Force and Tactical Unit are multijurisdictional units which operate under the Sheriff’s Office. In 2008, the Delaware County Motorcycle Unit was formed to reduce traffic related incidents in the county through aggressive enforcement.

Common day sheriff’s deputies have many additional responsibilities beyond the scope of traditional law enforcement. Currently, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office has five school resource officers in three county school districts. SROs provide police services to the school and work to prevent juvenile delinquency through close contact and positive relationships with students. The Office also provides background checks and fingerprinting and issues all Carry Concealed Weapons licenses. The Records Division is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining and filing all reports taken by the Sheriff’s Office. Among other things, records clerks also maintain control of all criminal and civil warrants and protection orders. All appraising, advertising and selling of seized homes and businesses is the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Office. The Office must also evict tenants who have defaulted on loans and transfer the deed of ownership.

When you call 911, you will likely speak with a Sheriff’s Office employee. In Delaware County the team of dispatchers answers calls, not only for the Sheriff’s Office, but for other smaller municipalities in the county.

Mission

The mission of the Delaware County Sheriff's Office is to become one of the best sheriff's offices in the state of Ohio.