This is not entirely the case. The job of managing such a diverse operation is a challenge that must be met each day. The Sheriff is legally responsible for keeping the peace within the county. The Cities of Corvallis and Philomath maintain their own police forces and the Oregon State Police handle the needs of Oregon State University. Sheriff's Office patrol deputies are responsible for providing law enforcement services in the non-incorporated areas of the county.
Detectives deal with advanced on-going criminal investigations.
By law, Oregon Sheriffs are responsible for operating a jail or providing jail services. The Benton County Corrections Facility is located on the north side of the courthouse. In 1986, it was the first jail facility in Oregon and the smallest jail in the United States to receive accreditation from the American Correctional Association . Unfortunately, the pressures of inmate crowding and poor construction have taken their toll. Constructed in 1976 to hold a maximum of 27 offenders, half of the cells in BCCF were double-bunked in 1993, increasing the inmate capacity to 40.