In August of 1853, an act of the Iowa state legislature granted permission for the citizens of the territory to form a county known as Black Hawk County. At the same time, an election was held and John Virden was elected the first Sheriff of Black Hawk County.

Since that time, the Sheriff's Office has grown and experienced many changes.  We occupied the first Black Hawk County Courthouse in 1857. 





The $27,000 facility was located on the East 
side of the Cedar River between East 7th and
East 9th Street.








We enjoyed one of the longest Iowa elected
official's tenure in Sheriff H.T. "Cap" Wagner,
which spanned 18 terms and 36 years.

Our Sheriff's Office history is strong
and distinguished.




In the minds of many Americans, the role of Sheriff ended with the taming of the Wild West. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Today, the Sheriff of Black Hawk County administrates approximately 140 employees (102 of which are sworn deputies), a 272 bed jail facility, and a nearly $15 million dollar budget.

The Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement coverage to the entire county, but specifically focuses attention to those unincorporated areas of the county, as well as contracted services with certain cities in the county. This coverage includes the services of Patrol, Investigations, Civil Process, Crime Scene Investigations, K-9, S.W.A.T., Traffic Accident Investigations, and much more.

The Sheriff’s Office looks proudly upon our past service to the residents of Black Hawk County, but anxiously anticipates the challenges that the future brings to the concept and function of law enforcement. Our agency continues to be focused on providing outstanding service and proactive effort to ensure the safety and security of Black Hawk County.

Regardless of the concerns that the future presents, the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office will be responsive to the needs of our citizens.  No matter what else changes, the Sheriff's focus will continue to drive our agency forward, striving to personify our motto: "Excellence in Law Enforcement".