Company Profile
Company Overview
The Polk County Sheriff's Office is a full service law enforcement agency serving Polk County, Florida. Polk County is the fourth largest county in the state with 2,010.2 total square miles, 1,874.9 square miles of which is land area. There are over 550 lakes within the county as well. The Sheriff is an independent constitutional officer and by function is statutorily charged with the responsibility of providing all primary law enforcement services within Polk County. The agency also provides related law enforcement services to the entire county, including: civil and criminal process, limited service response, assistance to municipal agencies, crime prevention and education programs, victim assistance services, and providing school crossing guards for the Polk County School System.
The Sheriff is presently given the responsibility for the administration and every day operation of the Central County Jail, South County Jail Facilities, and Sheriff's Training and Respect Program to include prisoner transportation throughout the state.
The Sheriff is also statutorily charged with the responsibility for providing deputies to attend the Board of County Commissioners meetings and for all sessions of Polk County and Circuit Courts within Polk County.
Company History
William Hutto Durrance was born in Tanall County, Georgia in August 1815. The Durrance family settled in what was then the eastern part of Hillsborough County and is now the Homeland area. According to state records, Polk County was established on February 8, 1861.a The first Polk County elections were held on February 13, 1861 and Durrance became the first elected Sheriff of Polk County. 10th Judicial Circuit Judge Julian Dale Durrance is the great-great nephew of Sheriff Durrance.