New Jersey
New Jersey's 21 sheriffs are constitutional officers (N.J. Const. Art. VII § 2) but operationally confined to court security, civil process, and warrant execution. Actual law-enforcement patrol and criminal investigation falls to municipal police or, in some counties (Hudson, Essex, Middlesex historically), a separate County Police Department; criminal oversight is conducted by the state-appointed County Prosecutor. NJ A3441 / S2943 (2024), which would authorize local civilian review boards, remains pending in committee and explicitly covers "municipal police forces" — county sheriffs are not named.
Counties
| # | County | Oversight body | LE capability | Independence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No oversight body established | ||||
| 01 | Atlantic | — | — | — |
| 02 | Bergen | — | — | — |
| 03 | Burlington | — | — | — |
| 04 | Camden | — | — | — |
| 05 | Cape May | — | — | — |
| 06 | Cumberland | — | — | — |
| 07 | Essex | — | — | — |
| 08 | Gloucester | — | — | — |
| 09 | Hudson | — | — | — |
| 10 | Hunterdon | — | — | — |
| 11 | Mercer | — | — | — |
| 12 | Middlesex | — | — | — |
| 13 | Monmouth | — | — | — |
| 14 | Morris | — | — | — |
| 15 | Ocean | — | — | — |
| 16 | Passaic | — | — | — |
| 17 | Salem | — | — | — |
| 18 | Somerset | — | — | — |
| 19 | Sussex | — | — | — |
| 20 | Union | — | — | — |
| 21 | Warren | — | — | — |