Duties of Sheriff.
§ 162-13. To receipt for process.
Every sheriff or coroner shall, when requested, give his receipt for all original and mesne process placed in his hands for execution, to the party suing out the same, his agent or attorney; and such receipt shall be admissible as evidence of the facts therein stated, against such officer and his sureties, in any suit between the party taking the receipt and such officer and his sureties. (1848, c. 97; R.C., c. 105, s. 18; Code, s. 2081; Rev., s. 2816; C.S., s. 3935; 1995, c. 379, s. 14(d).)
§ 162-14. Duty to execute process.
Every sheriff, by himself or his lawful deputies, shall execute and make due return of all writs and other process to him legally issued and directed, within his county or upon any river, bay or creek adjoining thereto, or in any other place where he may lawfully execute the same. (1777, c. 218, s. 5, P.R.; 1821, c. 1110, P.R.; R.C., c. 105, s. 17; 1874, c. 33; Code, s. 2079; 1899, c. 25; Rev., s. 2817; C.S., s. 3936; 1973, c. 108, s. 98; 1983, c. 670, s. 8.)
§ 162-15. Imposition of penalty; procedure.
In any case in which a person aggrieved seeks the imposition of penalties against a sheriff for failure or neglect to perform any duty of office or for any default in office as provided in G.S. 162-12, he may proceed by motion in the cause, supported by an affidavit, in a pending action. Upon the filing of a motion in the cause the clerk shall deliver a copy of the motion and affidavit and an order to show cause to the sheriff. (1871-2, c. 74, s. 4; Code, s. 446; Rev., s. 2818; C.S., s. 3937; 1983, c. 670, s. 9.)
§ 162-16. Execute summons, order or judgment.
Whenever the sheriff may be required to serve or execute any summons, order or judgment, or to do any other act, he shall be bound to do so in like manner as upon process issued to him, and shall be equally liable in all respects for neglect of duty; and if the sheriff be a party, the coroner shall be bound to perform the service, as he is now bound to execute process where the sheriff is a party; and this Chapter relating to sheriffs shall apply to coroners when the sheriff is a party. Sheriffs and coroners may return process by mail. Their liabilities in respect to the execution of process shall be as prescribed by law.
In those counties where the office of coroner has been abolished, or is vacant, and in which process is required to be served or executed on the sheriff, the authority to serve or execute such process shall be vested in the clerk of court; however, the clerk of court is hereby empowered to designate and direct by appropriate order some person to act in his stead to serve or execute the same. (C.C.P., s. 354; Code, s. 598; Rev., s. 2819; C.S., s. 3938; 1971, c. 653, s. 1.)
§ 162-17. Duties of outgoing sheriff for unexecuted process.
It shall be the duty of any sheriff who shall have received a precept, and shall go out of office before the return day thereof, without having executed the same, to deliver same to the succeeding sheriff with sufficient time allowed for it to be executed by him. (R.C., c. 105, s. 25; Code, s. 2088; Rev., s. 2820; C.S., s. 3939; 1983, c. 670, s. 10.)
§ 162-18. Payment of money collected on execution.
In all cases where a sheriff has collected money upon an execution placed in his hands, if there be no bona fide contest over the application thereof, he shall immediately pay the same into the office of the clerk of the court from which the execution issued. (Code, s. 2080; Rev., s. 2821; C.S., s. 3940; 1983, c. 670, s. 11; 2021-47, s. 14(d).)
§ 162-19. Repealed by Session Laws 1953, c. 973, s. 3.
§§ 162-20 through 162-21: Repealed by Session Laws 1983, c. 670, ss. 12, 13.
The sheriff shall have the care and custody of the jail in his county; and shall be, or appoint, the keeper thereof.
No law-enforcement officer or jailer who shall have the care and custody of any jail shall receive any portion of any jail fee or charge paid by or for any person confined in such jail, nor shall the compensation or remuneration of such officer be affected to any extent by the costs of goods or services furnished to any person confined in such jail. (R.C., c. 105, s. 22; Code, s. 2085; Rev., s. 2824; C.S., s. 3944; 1967, c. 581, s. 3; 1969, c. 1090; 1983, c. 670, s. 14.)
§ 162-23. Prevent entering jail for lynching; county liable.
When the sheriff of any county has good reason to believe that the jail of his county is in danger of being broken or entered for the purpose of killing or injuring a prisoner placed by the law in his custody, it shall be his duty at once to call on the commissioners of the county, or some one of them, for a sufficient guard for the jail, and in such case, if the commissioner or commissioners fail to authorize the employment of necessary guards to protect the jail, and by reason of such failure the jail is entered and a prisoner killed, the county in whose jail the prisoner is confined shall be responsible in damages, to be recovered by the personal representatives of the prisoner thus killed, by action begun and prosecuted before the superior court of any county in this State. (1893, c. 461, s. 7; Rev., s. 2825; C.S., s. 3945.)
§ 162-24. Delegation of official duties.
The sheriff may not delegate to another person the final responsibility for discharging his official duties, but he may appoint a deputy or employ others to assist him in performing his official duties. (23 Hen. VI, c. 10; R.C., c. 105, s. 21; Code, s. 2084; Rev., s. 2828; C.S., s. 3946; 1983, c. 670, s. 15.)
§ 162-25. Obligations taken by sheriff payable to himself.
The sheriff or his deputy shall take no obligation of or from any person in his custody for or concerning any matter or thing relating to his office otherwise payable than to himself as sheriff and dischargeable upon the prisoner's appearance and rendering himself at the day and place required in the writ (whereupon he was or shall be taken or arrested), and his sureties discharging themselves therefrom as special bail of such prisoner or such person keeping within the limits and rules of any prison; and every other obligation taken by any sheriff in any other manner or form, by color of his office, shall be void, except in any special case and other obligation shall be, by law, particularly and expressly directed; and no sheriff shall demand, exact, take or receive any greater fee or reward whatsoever, nor shall have any allowance, reward or satisfaction from the public, for any service by him done, other than such sum as the court shall allow for ex officio services and the allowance given and provided by law. (1777, c. 118, s. 8, P.R.; R.C., c. 105, s. 19; Code, s. 2082; Rev., s. 2829; C.S., s. 3947.)
§ 162-26. Sheriff may establish volunteer school safety resource officer program.
(a) The sheriff may establish a volunteer school safety resource officer program to provide nonsalaried special deputies to serve as school safety resource officers in public schools. To be a volunteer in the program, a person must have prior experience as either (i) a sworn law enforcement officer or (ii) a military police officer with a minimum of two years' service. If a person with experience as a military police officer is no longer in the armed services, the person must also have an honorable discharge. A program volunteer must receive training on research into the social and cognitive development of elementary, middle, and high school children and must also meet the selection standards and any additional criteria established by the sheriff.
(b) Each volunteer shall report to the sheriff and shall work under the direction and supervision of the sheriff or the sheriff's designee when carrying out the volunteer's duties as a school safety resource officer. No volunteer may be assigned to a school as a school safety resource officer until the volunteer has updated or renewed the volunteer's law enforcement training and has been certified by the North Carolina Sheriff's Education and Training Standards Commission as meeting the educational and firearms proficiency standards required of persons serving as special deputy sheriffs. A volunteer is not required to meet the physical standards required by the North Carolina Sheriff's Education and Training Standards Commission but must have a standard medical exam to ensure the volunteer is in good health. A person selected by the sheriff to serve as a volunteer under this section shall have the power of arrest while performing official duties as a volunteer school safety resource officer.
(c) The sheriff may enter into an agreement with the local board of education to provide volunteer school safety resource officers who meet both the criteria established by this section and the selection and training requirements set by the sheriff of the county for the schools. The sheriff shall be responsible for the assignment of any volunteer school safety resource officer assigned to a public school and for the supervision of the officer.
(d) There shall be no liability on the part of and no cause of action shall arise against a volunteer school safety resource officer, the Sheriff or employees of the sheriff supervising a volunteer school safety officer, or the public school system or its employees for any good-faith action taken by them in the performance of their duties with regard to the volunteer school safety resource officer program established pursuant to this section. (2013-360, s. 8.45(e).)
§ 162-26.5. Sheriff may provide school resource officers to schools.
(a) The sheriff may enter into an agreement to provide school resource officers who meet the requirements in G.S. 115C-105.58.
(b) If the sheriff enters into an agreement with a nonpublic school pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the nonpublic school must provide funds at least equal to the compensation, benefits, and related expenses of any school resource officer assigned to the school. (2024-1, s. 2.8A(h).)
§ 162-27: Reserved for future codification purposes.
§ 162-28: Reserved for future codification purposes.
§ 162-29: Reserved for future codification purposes.
§ 162-30: Reserved for future codification purposes.