Research of sheriffs in Las Vegas, Nevada and Jacksonville, Florida. Comparing the structure and the effectiveness of a police force under a sheriff with those under a police chief. Sheriffs in the United States are elected — whereas police chiefs are appointed.
The most important part is solid academic papers as sources about sheriff offices versus police. Some analysis of crime and other comparisons is also valuable. If 50% to 70% of the paper is focused on a literature review of existing papers, that would be great.
Research should detail the duties, responsibilities and roles of an officer in a sheriff’s office versus those who are police. Most municipal police leaders are appointed chiefs. Few large police forces are led by elected sheriffs versus those led by police chiefs.
The paper can also cover other issues emerging from sheriff’s offices.
Research on a sheriff versus a police chief — such as is crime higher in cities with a sheriff vs. with a police chief?
The paper should cover the institutional setup of an office with a sheriff. Any background on these two cities and their framework is valuable. The paper can also cover the prominence of sheriffs in the Western United States and in the South — as researchers have covered this subtopic.
