About Sheriff's Office

On October 5, 1850 the territory north of Salt Lake City was organized into and named Davis County, in memory of Captain Daniel C. Davis. He served in the Mormon Battalion during the war with Mexico and led many immigrant groups across the plains to settle the west.

In March of 1853, Farmington, then known as Little Cottonwood, was approved by the Territorial Legislature as the County seat of Davis County. A year later, Lot Smith, who also served in the Mormon Battalion at age 16, was appointed the first sheriff of the County. The first jail in Davis County was erected on the Courthouse grounds and had three cells.

The population of Davis County has continued to grow from the original 1,598 citizens to over 306,479 in 2012. Davis County covers 275 square miles. The Sheriff's Office has increased from a handful to over 230 deputies.

Since its inception, the Davis County Sheriff's Office has evolved to be one of the most capable public safety agencies in Utah. Unlike other law enforcement agencies in the State of Utah, our Patrol deputy sheriffs are certified paramedics who perform a dual role of medical and law enforcement duties.