The Sheriff's Office and the accompanying duties of law enforcement, judicial service and the keeping of prisoners, date back over 1000 years. It can be traced and documented to the reign of Alfred the Great in England.
Some scholars believe that it was created during the Roman occupation of England.
Indiana's first Sheriff's Office, was created by the Constitution of Indiana in 1816 and was designated as an elected official. The provisions establishing the office are basically unchanged since 1816, except for term limits, being imposed in 1952. In 1857 Simon Phillips was recorded as the first elected Sheriff of Jasper County. Since that time, there has been thirty-two others, who have filled that position. Having been elected Sheriff, I pledge, that the Jasper County Sheriff's Department , and all of it's employees, will do everything within our power to provide a safe and secure place to live, work, drive, and raise a family.