The sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown: there has been a Sheriff of Rutland since 1129. Formerly the sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions are now largely ceremonial.
The sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown: there has been a Sheriff of Rutland since 1129. Formerly, the sheriff was the primary law enforcement officer in the county but over time most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now obsolete, so that its functions are now largely ceremonial.