▁Oper ations ▁Bureau , ▁and ▁the ▁C ust ody ▁Oper ations ▁Bureau . ▁ ▁The ▁Sher iff ' s ▁Office ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 ; ▁and ▁as ▁such ▁the ▁department ▁is ▁one ▁hundred ▁and ▁fifty - e ight ▁years ▁old . ▁The ▁Sher iff ' s ▁Office ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁ag encies ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁California . ▁The ▁Sher iff ' s ▁Office ▁has ▁about ▁ 3 0 0 ▁employees ▁and ▁a ▁budget ▁of ▁over ▁ 5 0 ▁million ▁dollars . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Office ▁of ▁the ▁Sher iff , ▁Mon ter ey ▁County ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁when ▁Sher iff ▁William ▁Ro ach ▁was ▁elected . ▁William ▁Ro ach ▁was ▁considered ▁by ▁many ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁very ▁controvers ial ▁sh er iff . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Regiment ▁of ▁volunte er ▁soldiers ▁sent ▁to ▁fight ▁in ▁the ▁Mexican – American ▁War . ▁However , ▁the ▁regiment ▁arrived ▁too ▁late ▁to ▁fight ▁the ▁war . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁soldiers ▁decided ▁to ▁stay ▁and ▁become ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁California ▁gold ▁r ush . ▁When ▁Ro ach ▁decided ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁Sher iff , ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁large ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁vote ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁large ▁population ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁Regiment ▁soldiers ▁living ▁in ▁Mon ter ey ▁County . ▁Ro ach ▁later ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁fe ud ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Ro ach - Bel cher ▁fe ud . ▁The ▁Mon ter ey ▁County ▁Sher iff