There are many deputy sheriff jobs that do not involve driving a patrol vehicle. Positions such as radio operator, corrections officer and desk sergeant are just a few. While the community sees the patrol officer on a daily basis, many deputy sheriff jobs go unnoticed by the public. Cooks, mechanics and counselors are deputy sheriff jobs that are very important in spite of their relatively unknown status.
A deputy sheriff's office operates much like a small self-contained town. There is an employee for nearly every task imaginable. As personnel performing highly-visible deputy sheriff jobs complete their assigned duties, the employees behind the scenes man the sheriff's office keep it running smooth.
Any time a call comes in to the station, the desk sergeant makes the decision as to which patrol squad should respond to the matter. Once the decision to send a patrol has been made, the responsibility is passed to another of the deputy sheriff jobs, the radio dispatch operator. The radio operator not only calls the patrol and alerts them to the situation, but also keeps a record of who is sent to what location and how long they are there. This is yet another of the deputy sheriff jobs, maintaining a record of patrol activities.
When a radio operator notices that a patrol has been out of service at any location for an extended period of time, a call is placed to the patrol officer asking for an update as to the status of the officer. This is one of the most important of the deputy sheriff jobs—knowing what is going on with every patrol officer at any given minute. Any status check that goes unanswered is followed by the dispatch of another patrol to verify the unresponsive patrol's safety.
Once a violator becomes an inmate at a local jail, the task of caring for and monitoring the inmate falls to the corrections staff. This group of employees is considered to have one of the most difficult and dangerous of all of the deputy sheriff jobs. The corrections staff is in direct contact with the inmates of the jail. It is the responsibility of these staff members to maintain discipline, well-being and proper behavior in what is, many times, an over-crowded and hostile facility.
Often, the corrections officers accompany the jail inmates to court proceedings and even to medical appointments if the situation warrants it. Calming tempers when an individual escalates to a heated behavior and breaking up fights and disagreements are tasks completed on a daily basis. All of these tasks are completed while the officer is, in most cases, vastly out-numbered by the inmates.