State lawmakers need to pay more attention to the work Missouri's sheriffs do every day, several sheriffs told the House Interim Committee on Operations of the Office of Sheriff.
"Not a single officeholder faces more liability exposure than the office of sheriff," Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan told the committee members Tuesday morning. "Prosecutors and judges basically have absolute immunity.
"But, daily, we're exposed to the possibility of litigation - not to mention the fact that most of us either wear Kevlar or have it nearby" because of the dangers of getting shot while working.
Cole County Sheriff Greg White reminded lawmakers that sheriffs "really are of the people. We're more integrated with the population than any other law enforcement in the nation."