Sheriff Jeff Gahler was first elected to the role of Harford County Sheriff in 2014. As the primary law enforcement agency in Harford County and the largest sheriff’s office in the State of Maryland, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for providing law enforcement, correctional services, and court services, for Harford County’s 268,000 residents. Sheriff Gahler leads a workforce of 680 sworn and civilian personnel and oversees an annual budget of more than $117,000,000.

Sheriff Gahler is a veteran law enforcement officer, having previously served 28 years during a distinguished career with the Maryland State Police and is a strong advocate for continual self-improvement and education, having earned his Associates, Bachelors and Masters Degrees all while employed by the State Police. He has taken this commitment further by adding his expertise to the public safety leaders of tomorrow by returning to teach in the Public Safety Leadership Program at Johns Hopkins University and by being a founding operating partner in the Advanced Leadership Consortium, a company focused on providing quality training and consulting services to public safety organizations and private businesses.

Sheriff Gahler, a 46-year resident of Harford County, resides in the Forest Hill area of the County with his wife Sonya and their two daughters, Shelby and Sydney.