W 029 The sheriff

The word sheriff has its roots in ancient English, and was used to designate a royal official dedicated to maintaining peace in a territory. The term passed from England to the United States, where each county of each state has a sheriff, normally responsible for the police work. In some counties it is the only police agency, while in others, each city has its own municipal police. The presence of this agent of the law in the stories based on the exploits of the old west, have popularized its name much more since the appearance of the cinema.