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
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.