The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department is a law enforcement agency

Law enforcement agency

In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...

 for Suffolk County, Massachusetts

Suffolk County, Massachusetts

Suffolk County has no land border with Plymouth County to its southeast, but the two counties share a water boundary in the middle of Massachusetts Bay.-National protected areas:*Boston African American National Historic Site...

, United States. The agency's primary responsibility is oversight of the Nashua Street Jail and the South Bay House of Correction in Boston, Massachusetts.

South Bay House of Correction

This facility was built in 1991 at a cost of $115 million to replace the antiquated jail on Deer Island. The HOC was designed to hold up to 900 inmates at one time, but it currently houses upwards of 1,900 at any given time. There are 674 cells and 32 different housing units at this modern facility.

Nashua Street Jail

This facility was built in 1990 to replace the historic Charles Street Jail

Charles Street Jail

The Charles Street Jail or "Suffolk County Jail" is a historic former jail located at 215 Charles Street, Boston, Massachusetts...

 which operated from 1851 to 1991. This facility houses almost 744 pre-trial detainees in 13 different housing units. The jail has 453 cells containing 654 individual beds. The entire facility is maximum security. Philip Markoff

Philip Markoff

Philip Haynes Markoff was an American medical student who was charged with the armed robbery and murder of Julissa Brisman in a Boston, Massachusetts hotel on April 14, 2009, and two other armed robberies...

, the so called "Craiglist Killer", was detained and committed suicide while in detention on August 15, 2010.

Correction Officer training

The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department has a 12-week training academy for recruits to become corrections officers. Specific topics covered include: the use of force, firearm safety and handling, suicide prevention, courtroom testimony, ethics and professionalism, inmate education, fire safety, CPR and first aid, report writing, and interpersonal communication, among other topics. Recruits are also given physical training and are taught multiple defensive tactics.

Honor Guard Unit

The Honor Guard unit is frequently requested by various organizations to appear throughout Suffolk County and beyond to display the Colors for community functions, funerals, parades, and events.

K-9 Unit

The Sheriff's Department currently has four K-9 teams. Two of the K-9s are German Shepherds that are cross-trained in patrol and narcotics detection and the two other dogs are Labradors that are trained in narcotics detection. These teams provide additional security and search for narcotics inside the House of Correction and Nashua Street Jail as well as assist other law enforcement agencies in searching for narcotics, fleeing felons, or lost children.

See also

• List of law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts