Elbert County Sheriff's Office

Detention duty in Elbert County, Colorado is as old as the county itself: the sheriff's Detentions Division traces its existence to the county's founding on February 2, 1874. Today's jail, built in 1984, holds adult men and women of every classification, both awaiting trial and sentenced, for the Elizabeth and Simla police departments, the Colorado State Patrol and state and federal agencies as well as the sheriff's own deputies. To limit inmate movement, deputies bring education, medical, rehabilitation, religious and visitation services into secure areas, and a full-service kitchen turns out about 48,000 meals a year to state health and American Jail Association standards. Beyond the jail, the office is responsible for law enforcement, investigations, civil process, traffic and court security across about 1,850 square miles of land (2025 Census Gazetteer) on the eastern plains, a county of more than 30,000 residents (2025 Census estimate), and it handles approximately 18,000 calls for service a year. Deputies investigate any crash on a public road that injures or kills someone. As the executive arm of the district and county courts, the office serves civil and criminal process within the county, and residents can volunteer, including through the sheriff's posse.