Halifax County Sheriff's Office

Halifax County voters elect their sheriff as one of five constitutional officers, alongside the treasurer, commissioner of the revenue, circuit court clerk and Commonwealth's Attorney, and the office's duties reach well past patrol. Deputies enforce federal, Virginia and county law, provide security for the courts, transport prisoners and run inmate rehabilitation, while dispatchers keep the line staffed around the clock. Much of the office's public-facing work is preventive. Its Community Engagement and Community Watch program puts deputies in front of residents and civic groups, free of charge, to talk through scams, identity theft, crimes against the elderly and homeland security. Families can enroll a relative who tends to wander in Project Lifesaver, where a transmitter worn at the waist or ankle lets searchers cut a search from hours or days down to minutes, and the Child ID program records children's information in case they ever go missing. Deputies also handle traffic control at school events, funerals, weddings and other gatherings across the county and take part in the Amber Alert missing-child system.