How is a Sheriff different from the regular Police department?

Isn’t a sheriff in charge of a certain police department? Isn’t a sheriff a higher ranking official than an ordinary police man?

What’s the difference between a sheriff’s office and a police department?

“The main difference is the area of jurisdiction. A sheriff’s office provides law enforcement services and/or jail services for a county or other civil subdivision of a state. A police department serves a specific municipality, city, town or village. Often, cities contract for law enforcement services with the county sheriff’s office.”

My county of about 62,500 people has a sheriff, a sheriff’s departmant and a jail located in the county seat. My town and its many hamlets has a chief of police and 11 other cops. They spend a lot of time giving out speeding tickets, handling local domestic altercations, and petty thievery.

Sheriffs have a little more power and responsibilities than the other Officers such as running the county jail and serving papers such as subpoenas, restraining orders, and eviction notices.
and also the Sheriff is usually an elected position. The Sheriff covers the whole county or other civil subdivision of a state and is the chief law enforcement officer in the country, whereas the police departments are restricted to municipalities within the county and is employed by either a city, county or state police agency.

In my county the Sheriff is elected, has jurisdiction over entire county including city ( also has Animal Enforcement ). The city Police jurisdiction covers only the within city limits plus one mile. Sheriff operates control over all prisoners for courts and the jail.

In my area, if you are not in City Limits, you have to call the Sherriff’s Dept.

In the East Bay, the Sheriff handles the unincorporated parts of the County.

The way I know it is County Sheriff, City Police, State Trooper.

Is there a way to find out about what kinds of crimes they investigate?

This may sound funny… but how does one “consult” them… about in general about what they do, what kinds of crimes they investigate etc?