Executive Order

Executive Order  No. 277: Public Safety Council

Date: 09/16/1987
Issuer: Michael S. Dukakis
Mass Register: No. 567
Superseding: Executive Order 128
Superseding: Executive Order 129
Superseding: Executive Order 233

Table of Contents

(Superseding Executive Order Nos. 128, 129, and 233)

WHEREAS, by Executive order No. 128 I declared that the proper coordination of activities of law enforcement agencies within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is of critical importance to the safety and well-being of the citizens thereof, and that establishment of a Public Safety Council within the Executive Office of Public Safety would help coordinate such activities and provide for better communications with federal and local law enforcement agencies; and

WHEREAS, in subsequent executive orders (Numbers 129 and 233) I have ordered that Executive Order No. 128 be amended by adding additional members to the Public Safety Council; and

WHEREAS, it is expedient to expand once again the Public Safety Council so that the views of a broader range of agencies will be represented, and to restate in a single executive order the entire composition and mission of the Public Safety Council,

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Michael S. Dukakis, Governor of the Commonwealth, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Supreme Executive Magistrate, do hereby revoke Executive Order Nos. 128, 129, and 233 and order that they be superseded as follows:

1. Establishment and Composition of Council

  1. There is hereby established within the Executive Office of Public Safety the Public Safety Council (hereafter the "Council").
  2. The Council shall be composed of the following persons or their first-level designees:
  • Secretary of Public Safety--Chairperson
  • Adjutant General, Massachusetts National Guard
  • Commissioner, Department of Public Safety
  • Commissioner, Metropolitan District Commission
  • Registrar of Motor Vehicles
  • Director, Massachusetts Civil Defense Agency
  • Director, Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council
  • Director, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
  • Director of Law Enforcement, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement
  • Commissioner, Department of Public Works
  • Commissioner, Department of Corrections
  • Executive Director, Committee on Criminal Justice
  • Director, Governor's Highway Safety Bureau
  • Chief Medical Examiner
  • Representative of the Mass. Association of Chiefs of Police
  • Representative of the Mass. Association of Fire Chiefs
  • Representative of the Office of Emergency Medical Services of the Department of Public Health
  • Representative of Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts
  • Director, Massachusetts Fire Fighting Academy
  • Chief, Capitol Police Department

2. Functions and Responsibilities of the Council Chair

  1. The Secretary of Public Safety (hereafter the Secretary) shall be the Council Chair and may from time to time appoint a vice-chair, a secretary or recorder, and such other officers as he shall think proper; provided, however, that the designee of the Secretary shall act as chair in his absence.
  2. The Secretary, or his designee, shall preside at the meetings of the Council and shall be its official spokesperson.
  3. The Secretary shall coordinate the activities of the Council with local and federal enforcement agencies, and may convene conferences, briefings and other forums for such purposes.
  4. The Secretary shall, from time to time, brief the Governor on the activities of the Council and shall perform such other functions as are ordinarily performed by those leading an organization in the performance of its mission.

3. Mission and Responsibilities of the Council

  1. The mission of the Council is to take necessary steps to improve the delivery of public safety services within the Commonwealth.
  2. The Council shall be responsible to the Secretary in developing policies, plans and procedures to be applicable to all participating agencies or other agencies involved in the delivery of services affecting public safety.
  3. The Council shall make recommendations to the Governor on actions he may properly take, with the assistance of the Secretary, to help improve the operations of public safety agencies, with particular emphasis on improved coordination, training, communication, cooperation, record keeping and reporting procedures, and elimination of unnecessary duplication of effort.
  4. The Council shall assist the Secretary in coordinating and implementing plans for the protection of the people in times of any crises, particularly those affecting large areas of the Commonwealth, which may not come within the responsibility of any one Council member's agency or department.
  5. The Council shall meet at least once monthly or at such times as the Secretary may think proper. Minutes of Council meetings shall be kept, and, where appropriate, shall be distributed to the members and to the Governor.
  6. To accomplish its mission, the Council may seek funds from any proper source to provide for supplies and up to two staff persons; provided, however, that no such funds shall be sought without the knowledge and specific approval of the Governor.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston this 16th day of September in the year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and eighty-seven and of the Independence of the United States the two hundredth.

Michael S. Dukakis, Governor
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Michael Joseph Connolly
Secretary of the Commonwealth

Contact   for No. 277: Public Safety Council

Help Us Improve Mass.gov  with your feedback

Please do not include personal or contact information.
Feedback