DESPITE THE UNIVERSALITY AND IMPORTANCE OF THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF, NATIONWIDE DATA DESCRIPTIVE OF ITS PRESENT-DAY STATUS ARE NONEXISTENT. PRIOR STUDIES HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO A SINGLE STATE AND USUALLY HAVE BEEN CONCERNED WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY PROVISIONS AND NOT WITH THE GATHERING AND INTERPRETING OF STATISTICAL DATA ABOUT THE PRACTICES AND ACTUAL OPERATIONS OF THE OFFICE. IT HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DRAW INTERSTATE OR REGIONAL COMPARISONS FOR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO FILL THE SERIOUS KNOWLEDGE GAP WHICH EXISTS WITH RESPECT TO THE PRESENT CHARACTERISTICS AND STATUS OF SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTS. THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO PROVIDE THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE OFFICE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE, THE NATIONAL SHERIFFS' ASSOCIATION AND THE INDIVIDUAL SHERIFFS WITH A MASS OF HERETOFORE UNAVAILABLE DATA DESCRIPTIVE OF THE ORGANIZATION, OPERATION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES, NEEDS, PROBLEMS AND POTENTIAL OF SOUTHERN SHERIFFS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)