About the Sheriff

Daniel A. Dunlap, Sheriff of Lake County, is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in the County. The office was created in 1792 when the first Sheriff was appointed by the Northwest Territorial Governor St. Clair. Under the 1802 Ohio Constitution, the office became an elected post.
The duties of the Sheriff have remained constant since its creation. The Sheriff is required to provide security to the Court of Common Pleas, Court of Appeals, and the Probate Court. The Sheriff serves all warrants, writs, subpoenas, and other orders from the court. Warrants issued by the governor are also executed by the Sheriff’s Office.

In 1805 the Ohio General Assembly defined additional duties for the Sheriff: to preserve peace, suppress riots and unlawful assemblies, act as the official custodian of the jail, apprehend and incarcerate all felons and traitors, enforce election laws, serve as county executioner (until 1886), and to serve notice to all jurors. Today the Sheriff’s Office possesses jurisdiction co-extensive with county boundaries, including all municipalities and townships.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is comprised of:
72 Sworn Deputies who cover an 86 square mile patrol area. Services are also provided for the County’s 225,000 population
108 Corrections Officers
33 Civilian Support Personnel
26 Central Dispatch Personnel

In 2001 the Sheriff’s Office handled:
37,000 Incidents
1,313 Traffic Accidents / 5 Fatal Accidents
340 Driving Under Suspension Arrests / 123 DWI Arrests

Services:

Provides full police service for four townships (Perry, Painesville, Leroy and Concord), which have a total population of about 45,000 people.
Provides service to three (3) Municipal Courts, three (3) Courts of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations, Probate, and Juvenile Court.
Detective Bureau
SWAT unit provides service to any law enforcement agency in the county
Central Dispatch Communications Division dispatching for twelve (12) Police and eight (8) Fire agencies, as well as providing 9-1-1 services in those communities.
Conduct Sheriff’s Sales ( 2001 nearly $45 Million Dollars in Property Sold )
Serve Civil Papers and Injunctions
Child Safety Programs (See Community Policing)
Dive Team and Marine Patrol
Operates the 8th Largest County Jail in the State of Ohio and a Minimum Security Jail Facility.
Provides transports for all inmates to court, hospitals, prisons, etc.
Performs Fugitive Extraditions from all over the world