I came across a courthouse that also houses a sheriff's office. Should a separate point be collected for the sheriff's office? |
It depends. If a sheriff's presence in a courthouse is to support court functions only, and is not associated with broader law enforcement functions, then a point for that sheriff's office does not need to be collected. If it is already on the map, it can be deleted. If a sheriff's presence in a courthouse is associated with broader law enforcement functions (operations extending beyond the courthouse and courts therein), then you should retain the law enforcement point on the courthouse. It is quite common for smaller counties to have the main sheriff's office located in the courthouse. Police stations and sheriff's departments/offices have the same law enforcement icon. If a police station and a sheriff's office share a building, it is OK to have 2 law enforcement icons on the same building. There may even be instances where a police station, sheriff's office, and courthouse occupy the same building. If you're still not sure whether or not to keep a sheriff's office point on a courthouse, you can always email us at nationalmapcorps@usgs.gov and we'll be happy to help you with the research. |