To add on a third issue, also anecdotally, there's the nature of duties that the typical county sheriff finds themselves with. They're not local police, they'r

To add on a third issue, also anecdotally, there's the nature of duties that the typical county sheriff finds themselves with. They're not local police, they're not state police or FBI, their primary job often winds up being running corrections. Secondary job is detail work on county property. Actual job is often being a patronage network for their boss, the sheriff, help him get re-elected and keep your job. It's actually the worst possible scenario, because we bring in all the downsides of an elected sheriff with none of the upsides -- they don't work on any of the things where being elected would add accountability. Hiring standards are low, they're based on political usefulness, and there's no downside to the sheriff because who gives a shit about a prisoner being abused. It's possible that elected local police chiefs might improve things in a way that doesn't extrapolate from the way elected sheriffs work.