Sheriff Eric Severson

Sheriff Eric Severson is a 2024 participant in JINSA’s Homeland Security Program and Sheriff of Waukesha County in Wisconsin.

Sheriff Severson has served as a law enforcement officer for 32 years. Sheriff Severson maintains executive oversight of all activities of the office to include sworn operations, jail, work-release and administrative functions and has served in the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office for more than 30 years; 25 of those years in supervisory and command positions throughout the department. In addition to patrol command assignments, Sheriff Severson has commanded the department’s Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Unit, Tactical Enforcement Unit (SWAT), K9 Unit and was the founder and first President of the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Canine Handler Association (WLECHA).

Sheriff Severson holds two bachelor’s degrees from UW-Platteville in both criminal justice and technical communication. He holds a minor in business administration. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Class 219, as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Unit Commander Academy. Sheriff Severson also graduated from the National Sheriff’s Academy in Aurora Colorado.

Sheriff Severson is a member and serves on the board of directors of the National Sheriffs’ Association. He is a past chairman of the board of directors for the Wisconsin High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), and is the longest tenured member of the Wisconsin HIDTA Board of Directors. Sheriff Severson is a member of the FBI National Academy Association, the Badger State Sheriff’s Association (serving on the legislative committee), and the Wisconsin Sheriffs’ and Deputy Sheriffs’ Association. In 2015, Sheriff Severson was appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to serve on the Supreme Court of Wisconsin Appointment Selection Committee.