About the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

In 1845, the Florida legislature enacted a law which said that the Sheriff of each county within the state would be elected every two years.  For the first ten years, the Sheriff of Hillsborough County was a one man job.  Today, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s officer is a full-service law enforcement organization staffed by over 3,400 personnel.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is organized into four departments: Patrol Services; Investigative Services; Administrative Services; and, Detention Services. The Patrol Services Department is organized into four geographic districts, each commanded by a Major.  According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the patrol services “consists of more than 1200 sworn law enforcement deputies.  These deputies are tasked with providing law enforcement services for the residents within the unincorporated area of Hillsborough County.  Patrol services include response to emergency and non-emergency calls for service, traffic enforcement, traffic crash investigations, selective enforcement and community oriented policing services.”

The Detention Services Department “administers the county jail system which has a rated capacity of 4,190 images.  It is comprised of two jails and a work related facility.  The department provides processing and detention services for all law enforcement agencies in Hillsborough County.  Additionally, it furnishes staff for the secure component of the juvenile assessment center, a centralized receiving, processing and intervention facility for adolescents taken into custody by law enforcement officers.”

Source:

hcso.tampa.fl.us