Since our first Sheriff, James C. Herrington, took office in 1836, Kane County has had 41 men hold the position. Herrington held the position for less than 2 months; while Robert Burke spent 9 years in the position, the longest tenure for any of our Sheriffs. Until recently, Sheriffs were not allowed to succeed themselves. Five different Sheriffs have served mutiple non-consecutive 4 year terms, which says a lot about early county politics. As in previous times, the Sheriff is recognized as the chief law enforcement officer of the county he serves.