The Madera County Sheriff's Department was formed in 1893, the same year the County of Madera was founded. The county’s first Sheriff, W.H. Thurman, served from 1893 to 1895. Sheriff Tyson Pogue is the 15th Sheriff to serve Madera County. Sheriff Pogue is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer and Chief Coroner of Madera County. He is responsible for providing public protection and investigating crimes that occur within the unincorporated areas of Madera County. The Madera County Sheriff’s Department is divided into four distinct and critical levels, all of which operate under the direction of Sheriff Pogue. Those sections are: the Valley Division, Mountain Division, Corrections Division, and Administrative Division which oversees the offices of records, dispatch, civil process and court security.