Organizational Structure

As a 24-hour full-service law enforcement agency, the administrative management and support of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is a major undertaking. The Sheriff’s Office currently manages a multi-million dollar budget and a total of over 400 employees, including deputy sheriffs and civilians, spread across four bureaus.


Organizational Charts

Organizational Chart

Detention Services Bureau
Professional Standards Bureau
Uniform Patrols Bureau
Investigative and Court Services Bureau

Rank Structure

The rank structure of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office establishes a chain of command for commissioned deputy sheriffs that allows operations to be effectively directed. The chain of command is a series of management positions in order of authority with each higher rank representing a higher level of responsibility. Higher ranks like Captain and Lieutenant represent a broader range or scope of authority, while lower ranks like Sergeant and Corporal represent a more focused on specialized area or unit of supervision.

The organizational structure is composed of eight basic ranks:

Rank Badge Color Scope of Responsibility Insignia
Deputy Sheriff Silver Not a supervisor None
Field Training Officer Silver Field Training Officer for Patrol Shift Supervisor or Detention Division FTO
Investigator or
School Resource Officer
Gold Not a supervisor, but Investigators may provide direction for deputies at crime scenes None
Corporal Gold  First-line Supervisor/Assistant to Shift Sergeant
2 Chevrons
Sergeant* Gold Unit or Shift Commander
3 Chevrons
Lieutenant Gold Division Commander
Single Gold Bar
Captain Gold Bureau Commander
Double Gold Bar
Chief Deputy Sheriff Gold Department-wide jurisdiction with the authority to act in the stead of the Sheriff
Four Gold Stars
Sheriff Gold Department-wide authority
Five Gold Stars arranged in a pentagon

* In the Enforcement Division, there are two Sergeant ranks: Sergeant and Investigator Sergeant. While Investigator Sergeants are compensated at a higher pay grade, the scope of authority is the same. In the Detention Divisions, there are two classifications of Sergeant: Shift Commander and Sergeant. Shift Commanders have authority over an entire shift, including other supervisors with the rank of Sergeant, even though their pay grade is the same.