Development

Oklahoma's constitution has been revised several times through the years, but the constitutional provisions establishing the Office of Sheriff remains the same as it was in 1907, which, in turn, is strikingly similar to the functioning of the Office of Sheriff at the time of Alfred the Great and William the Conqueror. The major difference, of course, is that the Kings of England appointed their Sheriffs. From the earliest times in America, our Sheriffs have been elected by the people to serve as the principal law enforcement officer of each county. Oklahoma County marks its beginnings with Oklahoma Territory. It was one of the first 7 counties of Oklahoma, organized under the Organic Act passed by Congress on May 2, 1890. It was designated County Number 2 until voters named it Oklahoma County.

There have been 22 Sheriff’s of Oklahoma County. The first Sheriff was C.H. DeFord who took office on June 30, 1890, and served for 19 months through January 1892. The average length of service of all Sheriff's of Oklahoma County has been 5 years, with the longest being almost 26 years and the shortest 1 month. Clearly, the Sheriff is the only viable officer remaining of the ancient offices, and his contemporary responsibility as conservator of the peace has been influenced greatly by modern society. As the crossbow gave way to the primitive flintlock, the Sheriff is not unaccustomed to change. But now, perhaps more than ever before in history, law enforcement if faced with complex, moving, rapid changes in methodology, technology, and social attitudes. As Thomas Jefferson wrote in his The Value of Constitutions, "the Office of Sheriff is the most important of all the executive offices of the county."