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Lawmen 101: Who Keeps the Peace?

By Darlene Cah

It’s said that the Old West was lawless. A mere glance in a saloon could end up in a gunfight. But deep within the chaos was a glimmer of order—from U.S. marshal to town marshal, from sheriff to deputy—each had unique jurisdictions—but that’s not to say they didn’t overlap, or even clash! From small-town sheriff’s offices to inner-city police precincts, INSP salutes the dedicated individuals who swear to “protect and serve.”

 

The Marshals

Old West

Like today, U.S. marshals in the Wild West were appointed to govern a specific territory. They were responsible for keeping law and order in some of the most violent frontier towns and regions like Deadwood, South Dakota, Tombstone, Arizona, and “Indian Territory,” now Oklahoma. Some well-known deputy U.S. marshals who were ruthless in their pursuit of justice include, Bass Reeves, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, Ada Curnutt, one of the few women marshals, and the Earp brothers: Morgan, Virgil, Warren, and Wyatt (assistant marshal of Dodge City). In fact, each of the Earp boys held a wide variety of law enforcement jobs—from policeman to sheriff to constable, marshal and more. The U.S. marshals were responsible for enforcing federal laws, (Arresting notorious outlaws, serving warrants, transporting prisoners, etc.), but if a town or territory lacked a sheriff, they did everything from collecting taxes to arresting brawlers to chasing horse thieves and bank robbers. Indeed, the marshals’ work was not always riding hell-bent-for-leather in a posse or taking down outlaws in a hail of bullets at high noon. Every job had its fair share of paper shuffling, and the marshals were not let off the hook. Every 10 years they were tasked with taking the national census, and when necessary, delivering presidential proclamations. Can you picture John Wayne as J.D. Cahill, U.S. marshal taking the census?

Now

Today, the U.S. Marshals Service is at the core of just about every federal law enforcement initiative. As the enforcement branch of the federal courts, it’s at the very center of the federal justice system. U.S. marshals are appointed by the president of the United States, and each is assigned to one of 94 federal judicial districts. Their responsibilities include tracking and apprehending federal fugitives, transporting federal prisoners, heading up the Witness Security Program, and more. Undoubtedly, there are mounds of paperwork, as well, but no longer on their to-do list is counting the census. That falls in the capable hands of the United States Census Bureau.

 

The Sheriffs

Then

Unlike the U.S. marshals, sheriffs in the Old West were elected to office by citizens of the county in which they hoped to serve. So, to win the right to wear the badge, they had to be politicians as well as notable crime fighters. They were on call day and night to keep the peace, but they had help—from ordinary citizens. Yes, Jed who sold home goods to the ladies at the general store doubled as a gun-toting deputy when needed. But the sheriff had to be shrewd when forming a posse. Vigilante groups could be out chasing the same alleged cattle rustler with no intention of presuming his innocence before imparting their frontier justice. Also, depending on the budget, the sheriff could hire a deputy. While tracking cow thieves or cold-blooded killers was part of the sheriff’s job, much of his time was spent dealing with the day-to-day administrative duties like tax collecting, a percentage of which he got to keep, settling disturbances like hauling a drunken gambler to jail to sleep it off, and sweeping the street! Their duties and privileges varied by state, however. Some famous and infamous Old West sheriffs include Pat Garrett, John Coffee Hays and Doc Holliday, among others. Some sheriffs were assisted by town marshals, who were either elected or appointed, and their jurisdiction was limited to their assigned town.

Now

To this day, most county sheriffs are elected, and their job duties can vary from one state, and even one county, to another. In general, the county sheriff is responsible for enforcing state laws and local ordinances. They supervise the work of their deputies and officers who investigate crimes, gather evidence, and make arrests, sometimes working with other agencies to bring criminals to justice. The sheriff’s office manages arrest warrants, subpoenas, summonses and other legal documents. They transport inmates, provide security to the courts, set up license, registration, and DUI checkpoints, and assist in search and rescue operations. The sheriff might be at a crime scene one day, crunching budget numbers the next, and doing a Q&A with fifth graders after lunch. Street sweeping is no longer a job requirement, but Johnathon Schaech who plays Sheriff Justin Wise on Blue Ridge could probably find a way to use a broom to trip up a bad guy on the run!

 

The Rangers

Audie Murphy as Texas Ranger Seven Jones

Then

Colonists started moving into the Spanish Province that would become Texas in 1821 prompted by Stephen F. Austin. By 1823 the population rose to 700 or more people living close to the Gulf of Mexico—on their own, without protection from the Army. Under Austin’s direction, the settlers organized a group to guard their community against Indian attacks. He called them Rangers. By 1835, they were an official law enforcement service now famously known as the Texas Rangers.

In 1901, Arizona followed suit and organized a company of Arizona Rangers to combat the rising numbers of cattle rustlers and other outlaws in the Arizona Territory at a time when there were few settlers. The members of the Arizona Rangers were an elite squad, highly trained in stealth operations. They rode the strongest, best-trained horses, and carried the newest weapons of the day.

Now

In 1935, Texas formed the Department of Public Safety, and the Texas Rangers, along with Highway Patrol, were folded into the new law enforcement agency. Today, the Texas Ranger Division conducts criminal and special investigations, apprehends wanted felons, and assists local law enforcement in their cases. From murder to bank fraud to missing persons, the Texas Rangers are on the case.

Meanwhile, in 1909 Arizona, a vote to repeal the Arizona Rangers passed and they were disbanded. However, in 1957, some of the surviving members of the original Rangers regrouped. In 2002, the state officially recognized the new Arizona Rangers. Today, they’re an unpaid, non-profit volunteer law enforcement and civilian auxiliary. They’re highly trained and work under the supervision of law enforcement officials when called upon. When they’re not fighting crime, they participate in youth activities and community events to honor and preserve the history and tradition of the original Arizona Rangers from 1901 to 1909.

 

Police

Then

The Old West was wild indeed! Back east as cities grew, so did crime. New York City established the first police department in the country in 1844, though it was officially organized the next year. Boston and Philadelphia followed in 1854, as did other bustling urban centers. The early police departments based their structure on the military style of the London Metropolitan Police, and their primary tasks included preventing crime and disorderly conduct, among other public services. They saw no need for detectives at that time, but there was only so much they could do to prevent crime. Murders, burglaries, assaults, and public drunkenness, among other offences were still happening, and under pressure to bring criminals to justice, the first investigative units were formed in New York in 1857 and Chicago in 1861.

Now

As of April 2024, the NYPD is the largest police department in the country with 33,695 sworn officers. Los Angeles comes in third with 8,959 officers. The two cities are also entertainment capitals. When it comes to portraying fictional law enforcement officers, one actor comes to mind—Tom Selleck, who played two very different police commissioners. As Jesse Stone, in the Jesse Stone movies, including Death in Paradise, Night Passage, Stone Cold, Selleck’s character is a former LAPD detective who moves to the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts to oversee the police department. In Blue Bloods, Selleck plays Frank Reagan, the fair and just top cop at the NYPD.

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