The Dukes County sheriff has terminated a longstanding agreement with the county for an exchange of services that included partial funding of the Island’s 911 emergency communications center.
Voters in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury all defeated requests to fund a share of the Island’s emergency communications center, which coordinates response to 911 calls Islandwide.
Edgartown selectmen pushed back this week at a request from Sheriff Robert Ogden to have the town contribute funding to the Island communication center.
A longstanding program that provides counseling, education, job placement and other services for Islanders who have been incarcerated, is slated for elimination due to state budget cutbacks.
A decision made by the trial court of Massachusetts to decrease the hours of the Vineyard juvenile probation officer has prompted concern from Island school officials and law enforcement personnel, who say they are worried about the long-term effects of the service reduction.
Controversy Over Nantucket Sheriff Spills Onto Vineyard Turf with
News of Assault Weapon Instruction Here
By JAMES KINSELLA Gazette Senior Writer
The Nantucket County sheriff, mired in controversy, including over
his recent decision to buy assault weapons, obtained training and
certification for the weapons several weeks ago from the Tisbury police
department.
The Dukes County Sheriff’s office expects to see a $620,000 shortfall this year.
The news comes just days after Sheriff Michael A. McCormack learned the state is refusing to send its annual supplementary funding for the county corrections facility.
On April 1, Massachusetts Secretary of Administration and Finance Leslie Kirwan sent Sheriff McCormack a letter of notification. Supplementary funding from the state amounts to nearly 20 per cent of the sheriff’s annual budget.
