FIRST REGULAR SESSION
House Concurrent Resolution No. 45
94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Whereas, Missouri Sheriff's Departments throughout the State play a vital role in the safety and security of the citizens of this State; and
Whereas, it has been the Missouri sheriffs and their deputies who have pursued criminals in this State from Jesse James to Michael Devlin; and
Whereas, it is the Missouri sheriffs and their deputies who battle on the frontline of the war on methamphetamine in this State on a daily basis; and
Whereas, the office of sheriff, established in Chapter 57 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri and Article V of the Missouri Constitution, has existed in English Common Law for 1,000 years dating back to the 11th Century when William the Conqueror defeated the Angle-Saxons and instituted his own Norman government in England; and
Whereas, both under the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans, the King of England appointed a representative called a "reeve" to act on behalf of the King in each shire or county. The "shire reeve" or King's representative in each county became the "sheriff" as the English language evolved over the years; and
Whereas, the shire reeve or sheriff was the chief law enforcement officer of each county in the year 1000 A.D. and still has the same function in the State of Missouri in the 21st Century:
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-fourth General Assembly, First Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby recognize the vital role that the Missouri Sheriff's Departments play in the safety and security of this State today as well as the historical importance that they have played in Missouri history; and
Be it further resolved that the Office of Sheriff should exist in perpetuity in every county in Missouri and the City of St. Louis, and no person should sully the long and great contributions that sheriffs have delivered to this State, often at the peril of their own lives or safety.