Overview
The Nantucket County Sheriff’s Department (NCSD) became a state agency on January 1, 2010 pursuant to Chapter 61 of the Acts of 2009, enacted on August 6, 2009. The legislation transferred to the Commonwealth all NCSD’s functions, duties, and responsibilities, including assets, liabilities, and debt, as of January 1, 2010. In addition, the sheriff became an employee of the Commonwealth, but is still an elected official with administrative and operational control of the office.
According to NCSD’s website,
The primary MISSION of the Sheriff’s Office shall be the protection of the public. The Sheriff and its Employees treat every individual with dignity and respect.
The Philosophy of the Sheriff’s Office shall be to protect the public by providing public safety services to the citizens of Nantucket County.
Although NCSD does not have a house of correction, it provides transportation for incarcerated people to and from the Barnstable House of Correction and divisions of the Massachusetts Trial Court for their mandated appearances. According to its website, NCSD also provides public safety on the island of Nantucket by enforcing laws “enacted for the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the people” and “assisting the public with landlord/tenant issues.” In addition, NCSD performs civil process services.
The NCSD Civil Process Division is responsible for serving documents (summonses, complaints, subpoenas, and notices) for attorneys; individuals representing themselves; the state Department of Revenue; and district, state, and federal courts. Individuals who need legal documents served provide copies to NCSD; staff members then document the recipient, the location where any documents are to be served, and the fee information on an envelope called a civil process jacket. The information on the jacket is also recorded by an NCSD office staff member on the civil process spreadsheet, where NCSD keeps track of legal papers served. Next, a civil servant serves the documents and records the date of delivery, along with his/her own name. The civil servant then returns the jacket to the office, where a member of the office staff records this information on the spreadsheet. NCSD does not have an automated case management program to keep track of legal papers served; it relies on its staff members to record information from the jacket on the spreadsheet.
NCSD received $773,001 in funding for fiscal year 2019 and $780,731 in funding for fiscal year 2020 for its operation.
| Date published: | December 9, 2021 |
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