The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office will provide the highest level of service founded in trust.
Sheriff James T. DeWees
Sheriff Jim DeWees was sworn in as the 58th Sheriff of Carroll County during an inauguration ceremony at Carroll Community College’s Scott Auditorium on Tuesday, December 2, 2014. Sheriff DeWees is a retired Captain with the Maryland State Police and is serving his third term as Carroll County Sheriff. Sheriff DeWees took control of the sheriff’s office from retiring Sheriff Kenneth Tregoning, who was first elected to office in 1998.
Sheriff DeWees was raised in Carroll County and is a 1988 graduate of South Carroll High School in Winfield, Maryland. He holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland and a Masters of Arts degree in Human Resource Development from Seton Hall University in Trenton, New Jersey. Sheriff DeWees is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.
Sheriff DeWees retired as a Captain from the Maryland State Police. His career with the Maryland State Police started after high school when he became a cadet at the age of 18. Sheriff DeWees rose through the ranks of the Maryland State Police and held numerous operational and command assignments within the organization. Sheriff DeWees spent the majority of his career as a patrol and investigative trooper, supervisor and barrack commander in Carroll County, assigned to the Westminster Barrack. Sheriff DeWees was commander of both the Westminster and Golden Ring Barracks, Operations Commander for the Washington Metropolitan Area and ended his 25-year career as the Special Operations Division Commander, overseeing Emergency Operations, K9, S.T.A.T.E. Team and the Motor Unit. He also served as an instructor at the State Police Academy. For most of his career, Sheriff DeWees served as an operator, team leader and commander of the Maryland State Police SWAT Team known as S.T.A.T.E.
“Our vision is to be the safest county in Maryland. We work each day by our moto, Commitment to Community.”
In 1998, Sheriff DeWees was awarded the Governor’s Citation of Valor after he shot the gun out of a suicidal man’s hand, ending a two-hour standoff in Keymar, Maryland. He is also a recipient of the Superintendent’s Citation of Valor for his role in ending two separate armed standoffs in 2000 and 2002. Sheriff DeWees has received numerous awards for excellence in investigations and leadership.
Sheriff DeWees brings a diverse background of law enforcement experience and leadership to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Continuing a career of public service, Sheriff DeWees now leads 278 dedicated employees who staff a full service law enforcement agency providing road patrol and criminal investigative services, a detention center, and courthouse security. Sheriff DeWees considers it one of the highest honors of his career to serve the citizens of Carroll County as their Sheriff.
The History of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office was established in 1837 with Nichols Kelly named the first Sheriff. Today, Sheriff DeWees serves as the 58th Sheriff of Carroll County, leading an agency rooted deep in history.
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has grown exponentially since its establishment in 1837. In May of 1999, CCSO officially became a full-service agency. Years later in 2011, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to designate CCSO as the primary law enforcement agency of the county. This designation initiated the process of transitioning away from the Maryland State Police Residential Trooper Program, although MSP remains a vital presence in Carroll County with other municipal police departments and allied agencies.
The building structures of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office have also changed and expanded overtime. The sole original building, now referred to as the “Historic Jail,” was built of stone and lime mortar in 1837. Many additions were added over the years to accommodate more inmates and to house the Sheriff with his family. In 1971, the current Detention Center was built adjacent to the Historic Jail, and also underwent numerous additions to now house up to 185 inmates in over 24,000 square feet.
Today, the Historic Jail serves as an administrative office building for command staff and civilian employees. Six other buildings throughout the county serve as satellite offices to meet the needs of space for this ever-growing agency. This includes the training academy at the old North Carroll High School, now called “Pantherplex.”
The future success and growth of the Sheriff’s Office starts with Sheriff DeWees’s plan to build a new headquarters on Greenwood Avenue in Westminster. This proposed 43,000 square foot building is currently in the permit and planning process, with construction set to begin in coming years.
Sheriff James T. DeWees
Sheriff Jim DeWees was sworn in as the 58th Sheriff of Carroll County during an inauguration ceremony at Carroll Community College’s Scott Auditorium on Tuesday, December 2, 2014. Sheriff DeWees is a retired Captain with the Maryland State Police and is serving his third term as Carroll County Sheriff. Sheriff DeWees took control of the sheriff’s office from retiring Sheriff Kenneth Tregoning, who was first elected to office in 1998.
Sheriff DeWees was raised in Carroll County and is a 1988 graduate of South Carroll High School in Winfield, Maryland. He holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland and a Masters of Arts degree in Human Resource Development from Seton Hall University in Trenton, New Jersey. Sheriff DeWees is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.
Sheriff DeWees retired as a Captain from the Maryland State Police. His career with the Maryland State Police started after high school when he became a cadet at the age of 18. Sheriff DeWees rose through the ranks of the Maryland State Police and held numerous operational and command assignments within the organization. Sheriff DeWees spent the majority of his career as a patrol and investigative trooper, supervisor and barrack commander in Carroll County, assigned to the Westminster Barrack. Sheriff DeWees was commander of both the Westminster and Golden Ring Barracks, Operations Commander for the Washington Metropolitan Area and ended his 25-year career as the Special Operations Division Commander, overseeing Emergency Operations, K9, S.T.A.T.E. Team and the Motor Unit. He also served as an instructor at the State Police Academy. For most of his career, Sheriff DeWees served as an operator, team leader and commander of the Maryland State Police SWAT Team known as S.T.A.T.E.
“Our vision is to be the safest county in Maryland. We work each day by our moto, Commitment to Community.”
In 1998, Sheriff DeWees was awarded the Governor’s Citation of Valor after he shot the gun out of a suicidal man’s hand, ending a two-hour standoff in Keymar, Maryland. He is also a recipient of the Superintendent’s Citation of Valor for his role in ending two separate armed standoffs in 2000 and 2002. Sheriff DeWees has received numerous awards for excellence in investigations and leadership.
Sheriff DeWees brings a diverse background of law enforcement experience and leadership to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Continuing a career of public service, Sheriff DeWees now leads 278 dedicated employees who staff a full service law enforcement agency providing road patrol and criminal investigative services, a detention center, and courthouse security. Sheriff DeWees considers it one of the highest honors of his career to serve the citizens of Carroll County as their Sheriff.
Written Directives
As part of our commitment to transparency and open communication with the public, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office publishes a list of our official policies for public view. These policies guide administrative and operational tasks and functions for the members of the agency. While every real-life situation is unique, these policies help guide the actions of our highly-trained officers and civilian employees as they perform their duties.
Our policies are regularly updated, changed, combined and sometimes rescinded to better serve the citizens of Carroll County and our Office. By law, there are a few policies that have not been included on this list because their release could jeopardize operations or compromise officer or public safety.