page_title: Prince George's County Sheriff's Office
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Prince George's County Sheriff's Office / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Drawing, "Capture and burning of Washington by the British, in 1814." 1876 publication.
context_page_description: The Prince George's County Sheriff's Office, officially the Office of the Sheriff, Prince George's County, provides law enforcement services in Prince George's County, Maryland in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Upper Marlboro, near the Depot Pond. The sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of Prince George's County and is elected every four years. There are no term limits for the sheriff.
  Created in 1696, the traditional duties of the sheriff are keeper of the public peace and the enforcement arm of the county court, analogous to the U.S. Marshals Service. The PGSO has a relatively long history compared to other police departments and sheriff's offices in Maryland. The PGSO was involved with events that occurred during the burning of Washington and affected the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner". Prior to 1931, the PGSO was the sole law enforcement organization of the county.
  Today, the duties of the sheriff include law enforcement services of the two county courthouses and surrounding property, service of court-ordered warrants, writs, protective orders, and other injunctions, and limited patrol responsibility with the County Police.
caption: British soldiers on their way back into Prince George's County after razing Washington, D.C.
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