Where I live, County level officials are the folks who implement state policies. For example XYZ County Department of Family services investigate child abuse fo

Where I live, County level officials are the folks who implement state policies. For example XYZ County Department of Family services investigate child abuse for the state. We even have a saying “counties are merely agents of the state.” This is a Midwestern thing. The south has strong, independent counties. The moral is that States, counties, and municipalities aren’t just “levels.” In my state, there really is no state government above the county level (outside the state Capitol that is.) There is an exception for law enforcement: we have state troopers and state department of investigation. Neither are a substitute for local police.