In 1855, General Statutes for the Territory of Kansas set the procedures for electing a Sheriff. When Kansas became a State in 1861, the office of Sheriff was among the first established. The Sheriff is elected by the citizens of his/her county for a four year term. The Sheriff of today is in charge of a modern, full service law enforcement agency. In some of the less populous counties, the Sheriff may provide the only law enforcement to the citizens, while in the metropolitan counties the Sheriff's Office is a large agency offering valuable full service law enforcement.