History

Sheriff LeRoy Day and Deputies - 1954

On October 5, 1850 the territory north of Salt Lake City was organized into and named Davis County, in memory of Captain Daniel C. Davis. He served in the Mormon Battalion during the war with Mexico and led many immigrant groups across the plains to settle the west.

Jail erected in the early 1920’s east of the
courthouse. Later demolished in 1963.

In March of 1853, Farmington, then known as Little Cottonwood, was approved by the Territorial Legislature as the County seat of Davis County. A year later, Lot Smith, who also served in the Mormon Battalion at age 16, was appointed the first sheriff of the County. The first jail in Davis County was erected on the Courthouse grounds and had three cells.

The population of Davis County has continued to grow from the original 1,598 citizens to over 310,000 in 2010. Davis County covers 275 square miles. The Sheriff’s Office has increased from a handful to over 230 deputies.

Since its inception, the Davis County Sheriff’s Office has evolved to be one of the most capable public safety agencies in Utah. Unlike other law enforcement agencies in the State of Utah, our Patrol deputy sheriffs are certified paramedics who perform a dual role of medical and law enforcement duties. Our specialized units include the K-9 Team, Specialized Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), Bomb Squad, Bicycle Patrol, Motorcycle Unit, and Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT) for the jail. The Emergency Services Division coordinates and supervises hostage negotiations and the emergency management of disasters, performs public information duties, and oversees training for our law enforcement deputies.

First Uniform-December 12, 1958
Sheriff LeRoy Day (seated)

The Justice Services Division provides security and bailiff services for the Second District Court of Utah, service of civil process and criminial warrants, as well as, inmate transports inside and outside the Justice Complex area. Advanced criminal investigations, including polygraph, crime lab and detective services, are also provided.

The Sheriff’s Office is also augmented by several volunteer groups such as Search and Rescue, Mounted Posse, Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Bountiful Jeep Posse and over 100 religious and education volunteers for the Jail. These groups, along with the employees of the Sheriff’s Office, provide the workforce to serve and protect the public, maintain the law, and respond to any emergency should it arise.

In 1958 the first uniform was adopted using a brown shield-shaped shoulder patch with the State of Utah and a star over the location of the County. In 1963 the uniform shirt and patch were changed from brown to green. The Davis County Sheriff’s Office is the only Utah law enforcement office that has maintained the tradition and design of the current green shield-shaped patch. This patch represents the continuing tradition of pride in law enforcement at the Davis County Sheriff’s Office.