Rotary Club visits with Falls County Sheriff Joe Lopez 

Hear the word Sheriff and thoughts go to Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry; he was a model of community policing (on television) before the term was invented.

Where did the title come from, what makes the Office of Sheriff unique in law enforcement, why should it be called the Sheriff’s Office not a Sheriff’s Department, and why is it important to preserve its direct accountability to the citizens via the election process?

The first characteristic that distinguishes the Office of Sheriff from other law enforcement units is its historical roots. In England, the sheriff came into existence around the 9th century. This makes the sheriff the oldest continuing, non-military, law enforcement entity in history. In early England the land was divided into geographic areas between a few individual kings – these geographic areas were called shires. Within each shire there was an individual called a reeve, which meant guardian. This individual was originally selected by the serfs to be their informal social and governmental leader. Through time and usage the words shire and reeve came together to be shire-reeve, guardian of the shire and eventually the word sheriff, as we know it today.

The Office of Sheriff has both criminal and civil jurisdiction for an entire county. A sheriff is the top-ranking officer in a county police force. The sheriff is in charge of all criminal investigations and is responsible for executing court orders and processes.

The Office of Sheriff grew in importance with increasing responsibilities. The duties of the sheriff included keeping the peace, collecting taxes, maintaining jails, arresting fugitives, maintaining a list of wanted criminals, and serving orders and writs for the Kings Court. Most of those duties are still the foundation of the sheriff’s responsibilities in the United States.     

In America, the office was modified over a period of time to fit democratic ideals. The sheriff acts as a conservator of the peace and the executive officer of the county and district courts, serves writs and processes of the courts, seizes property after judgment, enforces traffic laws on county roads and supervises the county jail and prisoners.

The second characteristic that sets the sheriff’s office apart from other law enforcement agencies is its direct accountability to citizens through the election of the Sheriff. The Office of Sheriff is not a department of county government, it is the independent office through which the Sheriff exercises the powers of the public trust. No individual or small group hires or fires the Sheriff, or has the authority to interfere with the operations of the office. Elected sheriffs are accountable directly to the constitution of their state, the United States Constitution, statutes, and the citizens of their county. The sheriff should naturally do his best to work with all entities because it is important in a democratic society. The sheriff must work with all segments of government to serve and protect the citizens of the county. 

Note: Neither the Governor nor the Legislature have any authority to remove a duly elected Sheriff, whose office is established by the Texas Constitution.

Joe Lopez was elected as the Falls County County Sheriff on November 8, 2020, and took office on January 1, 2021. He has thirty-eight years of police experience. To young people, he says, “Have a dream, work hard towards that goal, and be steadfast in trustworthiness.”

Falls County Sheriff Joe Lopez addressed the Rotary Club in Marlin on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at The Chicken Place in Marlin.

“I have the privilege of serving as a County Sheriff, it is truly a privilege and honor to serve,” states Sheriff Joe Lopez.

Sheriff Lopez had seen examples of both good and bad policing, which inspired him to become a peace officer and shaped his philosophy on relationship-based policing. This is especially important with children and youth. 

“To young officers, I say to take time to talk to youth and adults in the community to develop trust. Communication skills are vital -  interpersonal verbal skills in this age of telecommunications. You have to get to know (them) and they need to know you to establish trust, a relationship…before, during, and after a problem exists,” explained Sheriff Lopez.

The first of seven areas of Rotary Service is Peace and Conflict Prevention / Resolution. 

The Office of Sheriff is vital in our Republic.  Outside a few elected town marshals, the Sheriff is the only head of a law enforcement agency in this nation that is accountable directly to the people of his /her jurisdiction. In 2010, the National Sheriffs’ Association passed resolution 2010-1 that succinctly presents the reasons why the Sheriff needs to be maintained as an elected office as it has since the early history of our country. 

Rotary Club in Marlin looks forward to working with and supporting the Office of Sheriff with relationship-building and activities for peace.