Suffolk County Sheriff's Department (Massachusetts)

Suffolk County Sheriff's Department
Abbreviation SCSD
Agency overview
Employees 1,051
Annual budget $122 Million
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* County of Suffolk in the state of Massachusetts, USA
Population 732,864
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters Boston, Massachusetts
Deputy Sheriff/Correction Officers 800
Unsworn members Civilian
Sheriff responsible Andrea J. Cabral
Facilities
Lockups 2
Patrol Vehicles Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
K-9 Units 4
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department is a law enforcement agency for Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The agency's primary responsibility is oversight of the Nashua Street Jail and the South Bay House of Correction in Boston, Massachusetts.

Contents

South Bay House of Correction

This facility was built in 1991 at a cost of $115 million to replace the antiquated jail on Deer Island. The HOC was designed to hold up to 900 inmates at one time, but it currently houses upwards of 1,900 at any given time. There are 674 cells and 32 different housing units at this modern facility.

Nashua Street Jail

This facility was built in 1990 to replace the historic Charles Street Jail which operated from 1851 to 1991. This facility houses almost 744 pre-trial detainees in 13 different housing units. The jail has 453 cells containing 654 individual beds. The entire facility is maximum security. Philip Markoff, the so called "Craiglist Killer", was detained and committed suicide while in detention on August 15, 2010.

Correction Officer training

The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department has a 12-week training academy for recruits to become corrections officers. Specific topics covered include: the use of force, firearm safety and handling, suicide prevention, courtroom testimony, ethics and professionalism, inmate education, fire safety, CPR and first aid, report writing, and interpersonal communication, among other topics. Recruits are also given physical training and are taught multiple defensive tactics.

Honor Guard Unit

The Honor Guard unit is frequently requested by various organizations to appear throughout Suffolk County and beyond to display the Colors for community functions, funerals, parades, and events.

K-9 Unit

The Sheriff's Department currently has four K-9 teams. Two of the K-9s are German Shepherds that are cross-trained in patrol and narcotics detection and the two other dogs are Labradors that are trained in narcotics detection. These teams provide additional security and search for narcotics inside the House of Correction and Nashua Street Jail as well as assist other law enforcement agencies in searching for narcotics, fleeing felons, or lost children.

See also

Massachusetts portal
Law enforcement/Law enforcement topics portal


References

External links