Do local police officers -have- to enforce Federal laws?

[Elwar]

Just curious on this one. Is a local police officer required by law to enforce laws of the federal government and the state government?

I'm not saying, could a law enforcement turn a blind eye to illegal activity, I'm saying, could they just have a list of local laws that they're hired to enforce and let the state and federal police take care of their own laws?

[RPgrassrootsactivist]

This is the issue that Richard Mack dealt with as sheriff of Graham County, Arizona, when he sued over the Brady Bill in Printz/Mack v. United States.

The federal government cannot coerce a state (or its subdivisions: counties and cities) to enforce federal laws, though many times in practice they do so voluntarily.

A sheriff, being the chief law enforcement officer of his/her county, independently elected, and a member of the executive branch of county government, cannot be forced by anyone, not even the governor, to enforce any law. Of course, an amendment to the state constitution could change that, but as I understand it that is how it presently is in every county that has elected sheriffs (which is most counties).