The county official most directly responsible for providing public safety is the

Sheriffs are considered the county official who are most directly responsible for providing public safety. They are the chief law enforcement officer in the district and they have both civil and criminal jurisdiction. They are also in charge of all the investigations of crimes and at the same time they are responsible for implementing court process and orders. The sheriffs and their agencies’ responsibilities differ significantly in every county. A lot of sheriffs have the tasks and duties of a police chief, yet some supervise agencies with restricted law enforcement duties. Sheriffs are usually in charge of security and managing county jails at  local government buildings.