The Penn's Grove record., 1923-11-30
THE POWERS AND
DUTIES OF A SHERIFF

Most people think of the sheriff as
an officer whose duty it is to make
arrests, help draw juries, serve papers
and conduct sales. They do not under
stand that in addition to these minis
terial duties, the sheriff is the chief
law enforcement official of peace
officer of the county. He has the
power to act when the local police
officials refuse or fail to act. In other
words, if, in the City of Newark, for
instance, the chief of police and his
officers are failing to act in the en-
forcement was the Honorable Frank
the power to act yer the heads of the
police and make Investigations and ar
rests.
The best example of the vast power
which the sheriff can WELD for law en-
forcement was the Honorable Frank
H. Sommers, who for one term was
sheriff of Essex County. He found
| conditions so corrupt and so democrat
izing that he employed investigators
and uncovered all the ramificatlons OF
the net work of criminals who were
debauching the city and d~emoralizing
old and young; the gamblers, the
keepers of disorderly houses, the dope
sters, the lawless liquor dealers, the
corrupt officials who were collecting
graft, and who for political reasons
were protecting these criminals. As
a result, one of the highest police
officials in Newark committed suicide,
and two others were given terms in
States prison.
The board of freeholders did not
want to pay his bills, but the court
approved his expenses, and the free
holders had no option but to meet
these legitimate expenses incurred in
cleaning up the county. Mr.. Sommer
happened to be a lawyer and knew the
possibilities of the office of sheriff,
and demonstrated once and for all that
the limitations which the average
sheriff places on his power and re-
sponsibility are self-impsoed. What
Sheriff Sommer did in Essex County,
any sheriff in any county in New Jer-
sey has the right to do, if he has the
courage and the ability.
In the present situation the sheriff
is probably the most important county
official to be elected by the people.
The governor appoints the judge and
the prosecutor, but the people elect
their own sheriff.-American Issue.
Of course such a sheriff as Frank
H. Somers has a moral back bone and
a sting of conscience when a moral
law enacted into civil law is not OBJ
served.
1t will be noticed that Sheriff Som
mer had the backing of Court, County
Judge. But in other counties the back
ing of sheriffs are different. The free
holders may approve such bills, but
the county judge and prosecutor may
not back up the sheriff.
When judges and prosecutors are
appointed by such a mar as Gov. Ed
ward |. Edwards, who may have de-
clared that "Ill be damned if | ap-
point any man to office who is a dry"
you may not expect such a judge or
prosecutor to back up a good inten-
toned sheriff if he is disposed to act.
The above may enlighten the people
on the laws and duties of judges, :
prosecutors and those who may be-
come jurors. Much depends on the
Some remember more their political
creators in the day of their office
than being conscientious about a moral
or civil law.
In future years educators will learn
the need of teaching the moral laws
which have been enacted into civil
in the schools and furnishing the
officials with the laws and their du-
ties, the same as is done the electionn
officers.