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Divisions
Civil
Process Office
The Brockton Civil Process office of the
Plymouth County Sheriff's department is benefiting citizens,
the legal community and police departments across the county.
 The
Sheriff's Civil process Division serves more than 25,000
legal documents annually, mostly to parties in civil
lawsuits. Fees paid by attorneys and plaintiffs fund
the division's entire operation, resulting in zero cost
to taxpayers. In years when revenues exceed expenses,
surplus funds are distributed to county police agencies
in the form of grants.
The legal community can rely on the qualified and experienced
staff at the division. A variety of services are available including
attachment, execution and seizure of vehicles. Massachusetts
Bar Association members receive 30 days of credit.
The legal community
and citizens can utilize the Civil Process Division to
serve summons, warrants and a variety of legal documents.
Among these are...
Landlord - tenant disputes
Divorce proceedings and child support warrants
Real estate attachments and seizures
Sheriff sales of personal property
Subpoena of witnesses
Civil Process Office
22 Cottage Street Brockton, MA
02303
Business hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Phone: 508.580.2110 or 508.746.8800
Fax: 508.586.8649
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1663, Brockton, MA 02303
BCI (Bureau of Criminal Investigation)
BCI helps police with the technical aspects
of their investigations. Fingerprint analysis is a specialty
of the division. The Sheriff's Department is equipped to handle
the entire process from investigation, preparation, analysis
and identification.
BCI assists local police
at crime and accident scenes, most often by taking photographs
and gathering evidence. in 2002, BCI field deputies performed
over 10,000 crime scene investigations at the request
of police departments throughout Plymouth County. At
its laboratory in Plymouth, BCI processes and analyzes
fingerprints and other evidence. The majority of the
investigations are conducted in Plymouth County, but
BCI doesn't stop there. It has assisted law enforcement
agencies outside the county such as the State police,
FBI, Barnstable County, Norfolk County and Bristol County.
In many instances, these are situations where police
departments have no idea who is responsible for the crime.
They look to BCI for the technical expertise necessary
for identifying suspects.
Director Bob Foley is
only one of five certified fingerprint experts in New
England. "When we get a match it's a rewarding feeling.
Most of the time, victims are small business owners or
home owners who have been broken into... they are very
appreciative of what we've been able to do for them."
 One
of the primary tools used in the investigation process
is the Automated Fingerprint Identification System. AFIS
contains over 50,000 fingerprint cards. The sophisticated
system can determine if latent fingerprints form a crime
scene match those of any individual arrested in Plymouth
County since the early 1980's. Similarly, the AFIS system
can determine if the fingerprints of someone arrested
for the first time match any of the unidentified latent
prints in its database.
BCI also reviews video
images taken by bank and store cameras and analyzes them
on-site. Hair and blood samples for DNA testing can be
prepared and are sent off-site for testing.
BCI Deputies work in the field collecting evidence and taking
photographs and fingerprints at crime scenes and traffic accidents.
The Sheriff's Department plays an integral role in supporting
local police departments and other law enforcement organizations.
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Field
Services
The Field Services Division works closely with the police and
other law enforcement agencies to provide vital support throughout
the county. The division consists of the K-9 Unit, Warrant Apprehension
and Communications Center. Additionally, the division provides
a Mounted Unit, an Honor Guard and part-time deputies on call
to provide security and road-work details whenever requested
by local police. A number of deputies are also trained in and
equipped for scuba rescue.
The specialized resources
of Field Services are deployed to any of the 27 municipalities
in Plymouth County at the request of the local police
departments.
 The
K-9 Unit consists of ten teams with one dog and one deputy
per team. In addition to patrolling the correctional
facility, the unit assists local police in locating fugitives,
missing persons and on drug searches. The unit also operates
a training site for novice and veteran law enforcement
K-9 handlers. As a public service, teams perform demonstrations
for schools and at community events.
The Warrant Apprehension
Unit assists police departments throughout the county
who possess
neither the necessary manpower, nor time for apprehending
suspects who have outstanding warrants. The police department
for the given town or city submit a list of suspects.
A background check is then run on each suspect by the
Sheriff's Communication Center. A complete file is generated
for each name on the list, and then handed off to deputies.
The deputies proceed by either mailing letters to suspects,
or in the more serious instances, go and apprehend the
suspects.
The Communications Center is staffed
by trained dispatchers who coordinate all communications for the department.
Additionally, all fire mutual aid for the county, including the dozens
of rapid-fire calls that need to be sorted out whenever there is a
multiple alarm fire. Communications also serves as a link between
EMT's and paramedics in ambulances communicating with hospital emergency
rooms.
 The
Fingerprint, Honor Guard, Mounted and Motor Units work
at many community events throughout the year. The Units
are comprised of dedicated individuals who in many instances
volunteer their time to help out at the events. They
maintain a highly visible presence throughout Plymouth
County, and take pride in everything they do.
Sheriff's Deputies primarily work out in the community assisting
local police by maintaining order during holidays and celebrations,
watching over prisoners that are taken to hospitals, and perform
traffic and road details. All deputies are required to complete
the rigorous 13-week Reserve Intermittent Training Academy
administered by the Massachusetts Criminal Justice
Training Council.
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Horticultural
Program
 The
Inmate Horticultural Program produces a wide
variety of plants and flowers for sale to the
public. The greenhouses are located on Obery
Street in Plymouth and are open most week days,
however, operating hours do fluctuate so it
is strongly recommended that you call ahead
at 508-830-6810 to make sure the Center is
open. Each spring the Center is in full bloom
with hundreds of hanging and beautifully potted
flowering plants. During the summer, the program
gets busy potting the thousand of mums that
will flourish in late summer and into fall
along with the many pumpkins that will be sold
at that time. All the proceeds go into the
Inmate Canteen Fund. A fund that helps provide
educational and rehabilitation programs at
the Plymouth County Correctional Facility.
So the next time you need a visually stunning
arrangement or a mum for mom, think of the
Plymouth County Sheriff's Department's Horticultural
Center.
The department welcomes
groups of children to its Horticultural Center and petting
farm. The tour gives youngsters an opportunity to view
animals up close and in certain instances pat them. There
are calves, goats, rabbits and a pig. Generally, visitors
are provided with a half-pint of milk at the end their
visit. The Horticultural Center has a large variety of
plants and shrubs. The tours are offered in the spring,
summer and fall, and last approximately an hour. They
are most enjoyed by children ages three through eight.
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