The Sheriff is the highest local police officer in the county and referred by the courts as the "Chief Law Enforcement Officer of His Bailiwick." The Sheriff is elected to a four year term in office.

Staff

The Sheriff's Office is currently comprised of 12 full time Deputy Sheriffs, an Administrative Assistant and 1 department clerk. In addition to this, there is an appointed Chief Deputy Sheriff. 

The Sheriff's Office is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for contact through the Venango County 911 Center, which dispatches the appropriate law enforcement agency for emergency calls.

Principle Duties

The principle duties of Sheriff's Office are as follows:

  • Conduct background checks as part of the process of issuing Licenses to Carry Firearms
  • Conduct personal property sheriff sales
  • Conduct Real Estate Sheriff Sales
  • Enforce court orders to assist other county agencies such as Children and Youth Services and the juvenile court system
  • Enforce the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code and Crimes Code
  • Investigate criminal acts taking place on county property, including assaults, burglaries and thefts
  • Onview arrest authorities (Deputy Sheriffs)
  • Perform courthouse/courtroom security
  • Serve all civil process issued through the Court of Common Pleas and the District Judges' Offices, and other county and state civil courts
  • Serve all warrants, including bench warrants, domestic relations warrants and district court warrants
  • Serve and enforce protection from abuse orders
  • Transport mentally ill patients by court order to other facilities
  • Transport prisoners on a routine basis and by court order

Clerical Staff Duties

In addition to the Deputy Sheriffs' duties, the clerical staff performs the following:

  • Conduct real and personal property sales
  • Issue Licenses to Carry Firearms, Licenses to Sell Firearms, and Licenses to Buy/Sell Precious Metals
  • Prepare all civil processes and returns of service, such as complaints, protection from abuse orders, mortgage foreclosures
  • Prepare all warrants for service
  • Prepare subpoenas and returns of service

Public Programming

Finally, the Sheriff conducts the following public safety programs:

  • Business security
  • Drug prevention
  • Firearms safety
  • Instruction in the use of Armament Systems and Procedures, Inc. (ASP) baton, oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray, and other numerous police oriented seminars
  • Senior Citizen Protection