May 27, 2008 - Marshfield Mariner - By Lauren DeFilippo
There’s more to the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department than maybe meets the eye.
The department, headquartered in Plymouth, has many resources available to help local public safety agencies expand their capabilities without increasing costs.
“We’re a support service in a sense,” Director of Field Services James Muscato said. “We don’t just go out and look for our own work. When needed, we’re there.”
The department can get to any location in the county in about 30 minutes, Muscato said.
For Sheriff Joseph MacDonald Jr., that breadth of resources is why his office exists as a public safety agency.
It’s economies of scale, he said. His department has the ability to provide the services local agencies need at little or no cost to them.
The expertise of the staff, and the cost savings of providing the services and equipment needed to handle emergencies, goes hand-in-hand
MacDonald said he meets regularly with local police and fire chiefs.
“They know what we have,” he said. “They’re not shy (about asking to use it).”
Making sure the department is able to maintain its resources so they are available to local communities is a top priority for MacDonald, who regularly visits Beacon Hill to ensure state and federal funding is where it needs to be.
