Additionally, this department takes possession of property pursuant to court orders, provides bailiff and security services for the courts, conducts Sheriff sales, and generally serves as the enforcement arm for the civil courts. The Records Division is charged with keeping all records of the Sheriff's Office. Most records are kept on file for five years and some are retained indefinitely. The Records Division also maintains an array of technical and computer services. These services provide information for the entire office, supporting investigations and other activities.
Investigators are usually plain clothes officers.
They may spend months working on complex cases such as homicide, robbery, or fraud. The Sheriff's Office provides two distinct services to the district courts, the juvenile court and some justice courts of the First Judicial District. First, deputy sheriffs serve as the Bailiff of the Court whose primary duty is to insure the safety of the judge. Additionally, the deputy sheriffs perform some administrative functions during the course of hearings and trials and help to maintain order in the courtroom. Secondly, they provide for the security of the court complex.