|
 |
|
I want to talk about the history of the Office of Sheriff and its
role in our democracy. The Office of Sheriff is the oldest and most
historic law enforcement agency in the history of the world. The
Sheriff’s Office can be traced back over 1,000 years to early
England. It was here under King Alfred the Great in the year 871
that you can find the early development of the Sheriff’s Office.
During the reign of Alfred the Great a new
unit of government was created known as the “shire”. The shire was
the forerunner of the modern day “county”. Each “shire” was led by a
“reeve” (chief). It was the responsibility of the “shire-reeve” to
maintain law and order within his own “shire” (county). In those
early days there were no police, no judges, no magistrates, etc…the
“shire-reeve” (Sheriff) did everything. He had the power to arrest,
raise armies, collect taxes, preside over courts, deal with
traitors, and do everything on the King’s behalf.
In the battle of Hastings in 1066 the Saxon King Harold
was defeated by the Normans. The Normans centralized power under the
King and it was the Sheriff who became the enforcer of the law
throughout the Kingdom. Even after the despotic King John was forced
to sign the Magna Carta restoring basic rights and freedoms in
England, the Office of Sheriff maintained its critical importance as
keeper of the peace. It should be noted that the role of Sheriff is
mentioned nine times in the Magna Carta.
As English settlers came to the New World the Office of
Sheriff traveled with them. When the first colonies were established
in Virginia in 1634 one of their first actions was to elect a
Sheriff. Thomas Jefferson in his work called “The Value of the
Constitutions” stated that “the Office of Sheriff is the most
important of all executive offices in the county.” It was at this
time the Office of Sheriff was the very first County Office created
in the United States.
During the 1700’s and 1800’s American Sheriffs were
given a broad range of responsibilities by colonial and state
legislatures. Among the duties included maintaining jails and
workhouses. The enforcement of law, maintenance of the peace, and
the handling of criminals throughout the judicial process were the
responsibilities of the Sheriff. As westward expansion evolved it
was the Sheriff who was needed to establish order in the lawless
territories where the fastest gun often ruled. It was during this
time that many categorized the Sheriffs into two categories; the
quick, and the dead. The icons of western lore such as Bat Masterson
and Wyatt Earp immortalized the Sheriff’s Office in history and
legend.
Today there are over 3,000 counties in the United
States. The Office of Sheriff remains as the only law enforcement
officer in the land who is elected by the people and not appointed
by a governmental body. For this special distinction, the Sheriff is
often referred to as the “people’s lawman.” It is the Sheriff who
answers directly to the people who elect him/her into office rather
than the “government.” This distinction is just as important today
as it was in 1634. This is a responsibility and an honor that I do
not take lightly. I am proud to be your elected Sheriff and can
assure you that I and the members of the Delaware County Sheriff’s
Office will always strive to perform their duties with integrity and
honor and always maintain their service to you as our #1 priority.
~Sheriff Craig DuMond
Meet Sheriff Craig Dumond
Sheriff Craig DuMond is a life-long resident of the Delaware County
Town of Masonville. Upon graduating from Sidney High School, he
initiated his law enforcement career as a Military Police Officer in
the United States Army and was stationed in Germany as well as the
States of Alabama and Maryland. After being honorably discharged
from military service, Sheriff DuMond returned home and became
employed as a Correctional Officer by the NYS Division for Youth as
well as a Police Officer for the Village of Walton. Over the next
22 years he ascended through the ranks with NYS DFY, and ultimately
served as a Juvenile Correctional Facility Director; all while
continuing to serve as a Police Officer for the Village of Walton.
In
2006, Sheriff DuMond was elected Supervisor for the Town of
Masonville where he also served as a Legislator on the Delaware
County Board of Supervisors and Chairman of the Public Safety
Committee. In 2012 he was appointed Undersheriff by Sheriff Tom
Mills and became directly responsible for the executive oversight
and supervision of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office to include
the Law Enforcement, Criminal investigations, Civil Enforcement and
Jail Operation Divisions accordingly.
In
2017, he became acting Sheriff and was subsequently elected Sheriff
of Delaware County in 2018. During the election, Sheriff DuMond was
endorsed by both major political parties; a distinction for which he
is proud as he believes the Office of Sheriff should never be
politicized. During his tenure at the Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff
DuMond has been responsible for the creation of the K9 Division,
Mounted Equine Division, School Resource Officer Program and Special
Response Team. He is the past Chairman of the Delaware County Drug
Task Force and an active member of the New York State and National
Sheriff’s Associations; serving as an Officer (1st Vice
President) with the NYS Association as well as various committees
within both organizations.
Entering his 37th year
in law enforcement, Sheriff DuMond has furthered his education at
SUNY Empire State College as well as completed numerous law
enforcement and executive-level training programs; to include
graduating from the 115th session of the National
Sheriff’s Institute Executive Development Program and NYS Governor’s
Office of Employee Relations Executive Management Development
Program. Further, prior to being elected, Sheriff DuMond was
selected to attend the 272nd Session of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation National Academy, however, declined the
nomination due to his newly assumed duties as Sheriff of Delaware
County.
Sheriff DuMond and his wife, Karleen, have (4) sons; two serving in
the United States Armed Forces, one as a professional/career
Firefighter and one attending college.
|
