Plymouth County Sheriff's Department

Press Release Archive

County Farm Welcomes Spring With Arbor Day Event
April 08, 2008

PLYMOUTH—Every April the greenhouses at the Plymouth County Farm bloom and the petting zoo animals head to their paddocks on Obery Street for the season.

This year is no different with spring flower sales starting on April 26th, but the farm is starting a new tradition that day according to Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.

That Saturday, in recognition of Arbor Day, the Sheriff’s Department is inviting the public to see more than plants and animals.

K-9 and Mounted Unit demonstrations are planned; walking tours of the farm will be available along with information on 4H, wind power, and bat houses.

According to Sheriff McDonald, “There will be a chance for families to see a sheep get sheared and our deputies will volunteer their time to make fingerprint kits for children.”

Children will get a free t-shirt and the first 250 adults can bring home a free blue spruce sapling to plant in honor of Arbor Day. The events run from 10am to 3pm with a rain date of May 2nd. Exact event times will be available online soon at www.pcsdma.org.

All plant sale proceeds fund inmate rehabilitative programs at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility.

Starting April 26th, the farm will be open 7 days a week from 9am to 3pm, after Memorial Day the farm will stay open until 5pm.

Find the farm off Rt. 3, exit 5 on Obery Street in Plymouth. The entrance is just prior to the Registry of Deeds and new Plymouth Trial Court.

Notification System Expands To Southeastern Mass.
April 3, 2008

[L to R]: Dukes County Sheriff Michael McCormack, Barnstable Sheriff James Cumming and Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald after signing onto the Communicator Expansion agreement.

PLYMOUTH— Thanks to a $660,000 Homeland Security grant the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department is lending its emergency notification expertise to 96 communities in Southeastern Massachusetts. This effort links those towns of their county sheriffs.

Plymouth County and neighboring Bristol, Norfolk, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties have entered into an agreement that gives them all access to the Communicator ‘Reverse 9-11’ system.

It’s a system residents in Plymouth County have been introduced to since its inception four years ago. When officials determine an event requires residential or business notification; the Communicator’s mapping technology places automated telephone calls to a target audience.

“From fires, to missing persons, to traffic tie-ups and water main breaks; this system has reached large and small numbers of residents effectively time after time,” according to Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.

This ‘Reverse 9-11’ technology is something the sheriff departments in Southeastern Massachusetts are currently getting familiar with and as a result residents of Bristol, Norfolk, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties can expect to start receiving notifications in the near future.

Plymouth County’s Field Services Director James Muscato and Communicator Administrator Nicole Callahan have been instrumental in implementing the notification system throughout Plymouth County.

Sheriff McDonald said he is thrilled his county has paved the way for the project. “Jim and Nikki hit the nail on the head every time; part of the reason for Plymouth County’s success is their knowledge of the Communicator technology and knowing which type of events require mass notification.”

The process sends local officials to their county Sheriff’s office; from there the sheriff makes sure the event meets notification criteria, then creates and sends the message at a rate of 1,000 calls every 15 minutes.

With this grant, the sheriffs can utilize the other department’s phone lines to increase the rate at which people are notified of an event.

By entering into the agreement, counties will see significant cost savings. Individual communities will also save taxpayer dollars by eliminating the need for the towns to purchase their own systems.

Hanover Signs Triad Agreement
March 28, 2008

[L to R]: On March 27th, District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz, Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.’s representative Deputy Liisa Budge-Johnson, Hanover Elderly Services Director Robyn Mitton, Hanover Fire Chief Ken Blanchard, and Hanover Police Chief Paul Hayes gather to sign the TRIAD Agreement.

HANOVER—Hanover and Plymouth County Officials have formed a TRIAD to protect the town’s seniors.

The TRIAD Agreement brings together law enforcement, support/protective services and seniors to prevent elders from falling victim to crime.

Hanover’s TRIAD will be headed up by a four-member S.A.L.T. Council of seniors James Moran, Nancy Tucker, Betty Ingles, and Susan Chapman.

The four will set the TRIAD agenda by determining risks posed to Hanover seniors and will address those risks using their new law enforcement links. S.A.L.T. stands for Seniors And Law Enforcement Together.

BCI Bunny Brightens Easter For Children In Hospital
March 24, 2008

BROCKTON- Deputy Bill Rovelto leads BCI Bunny down the corridor at Signature Healthcare. BCI Bunny is not under arrest, he just needed a little help maneuvering to make sure he got a chance to stop and visit each child.

PLYMOUTH—Bureau of Criminal Investigation Deputy Mark Shubert dressed as BCI Bunny on the Friday before Easter to visit children receiving care at Signature Healthcare in Brockton.

Shubert and other members of Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.’s BCI Unit made their third annual trip to see local kids who are unfortunately spending the Easter holiday in the hospital.

BCI Bunny, Deputies Rovelto, Briggs and Burton brought stuffed toys, crayons and coloring books for the children.

The Easter visit is part of a national movement to get Sheriff Departments interacting with children. For more information on The Easter Bunny Foundation, log onto www.theeasterbunny.com.

Inmate Work Crew Saves Hingham $160.000
March 21, 2008

PLYMOUTH— Last week, a Plymouth County Project Labor work crew finished a 2-and-a-half month project inside the Hingham Recreation Center.

Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.’s Project Labor crew—made up of correction officers and inmates—painted floor to ceiling with Hingham’s red, black and white. The crew painted the game room, the hallways, the gymnasium, the locker rooms, and several work-out rooms.

It was a substantial job according to Officer Paul Cheney, “The ceiling in the gymnasium soaked up four coats of paint.”

Cheney and town officials are done tallying the cost savings. The labor provided by the work crew saved the town of Hingham $160,000.

Hingham Recreation Director Kathy Clarkeson said last week, “I love Project Labor.”

Clarkeson thanked the crew for being so thorough and can’t wait to get them back in the future. In her office you can see what the walls around the center used to look like, off-white and dingy.

Cheney says the crew was able to see residents enjoy the spruced-up space.

Sheriff Gets $1,000 Grant From Local Wal-Mart
March 4, 2008

PLYMOUTH- Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr. receives a $1,000 matching fund grant from a manager at the Plymouth WAL-MART. The funds will be used for inmate rehabilitative programs.

Work Crew Saves Duxbury $21K
Februrary 4, 2008

L to R: Duxbury Council on Aging Director Joanne Moore, Correction Officer Frank Caprio, and Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr. tour the senior center to see the new interior paint job. Caprio supervised a crew of inmate workers in the January painting project. The town of Duxbury saved approximately $21,000 by using the Sheriff’s Project Labor Program.

Plymouth Sheriff Wishes Seniors "OK" Winter
January 28, 2008

Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr. wants to remind residents of the department’s free “Are You OK?” telephone-based program.

Participants—generally seniors or disabled residents—receive daily automated calls at a pre-determined time to make sure they are OK.

Sheriff McDonald believes it’s important for everyone to have a so-called big brother. “With the winter months upon us, I want to make sure every resident of the county has someone to check on them.”

Communications Officer Carol Schneider administers the free program; she says the seniors are the boss. “If they want a call one day a week or 7 days- we accommodate them. If they spend the summer in Kingston and the winter in Brockton we’re able to make the call year-round. Vacations? No problem. Just call the office and let us know you’ll be out of town.”

If attempts to reach a participant are unsuccessful a contact is notified or local police are sent to the home to conduct a well-being check.

One participant recently wrote, “Having this call come early in the morning, every morning just like clockwork is like feeling like a kid again with a security blanket under your arm.”

To enroll, call 508-830-6256 and request an application or download the RUOK Application online at www.pcsdma.org and return it to: RUOK, 24 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, MA 02360.

County Farm Greenhouses Open Year Round
January 28, 2008

The Plymouth County Farm on Obery Street is now open year-round!

This winter we are adding two new greenhouses and are now offering Hawaiian Volcano Plants [pictured here] and other houseplants for sale. Staying open year-round provides greater rehabilitation opportunities for inmates. Current hours 7 am - 3 pm.

For news releases from 2007, contact the Public Information Office at
508-830-6264/6293