The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) is the primary law enforcement agency servicing Wicomico County, Maryland. The WCSO was established in 1867 and is responsible for the protection of life and property, enforcing orders of the court, and maintaining the detention facility.[1]
The current sheriff is Mike A. Lewis. Lewis has attracted national news attention for stating that he will not enforce state gun bans,[2][3][4] and proclaiming Wicomico County a "Second Amendment sanctuary".[5] He is a "Sheriff Fellow" of the Claremont Institute.[6]
In late 2022, Sheriff's Deputy Steven Abreu was arrested and charged with nine counts of first degree rape against a total of five women, using his power to assault them while on duty.[8][9] An affidavit filed against Abreu accused him of manipulating his vehicle and body-worn cameras during the interactions.[10]
Since 1867, there have been 41 elected sheriffs:[1]
12345Chavis, Charles L. (2021). The silent shore: the lynching of Matthew Williams and the politics of racism in the free state. Baltimore, Maryland. ISBN978-1-4214-4292-1. OCLC1243909579.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
12Moore, Joseph E. (2006). Murder on Maryland's Eastern Shore: race, politics and the case of Orphan Jones. Charleston, SC. ISBN978-1-61423-095-3. OCLC944246573.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
