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Committee hears request to formalize Dukes County regional lockup funding in H.2314
Summary
Lawmakers heard testimony supporting H.2314 to establish a Dukes County Regional Lockup Fund; supporters said the Sheriff’s lockup on Martha’s Vineyard is the island’s sole holding facility and that local contributions, not state funds, would be used to sustain it.
The Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government took testimony on H.2314, an act to establish a Dukes County Regional Lockup Fund, with supporters urging the Legislature to memorialize and facilitate a regional funding mechanism for Martha’s Vineyard’s only police lockup.
Representative Patrick Lewis introduced the hearing item and Representative (speaker identified as) Rep. Mokely presented the bill and invited Sheriff Robert Ogden of Dukes County to speak. “This is a bill … establishing the Dukes County Regional Lockup Fund,” Rep. Mokely said, and stressed the lockup’s role serving the seven towns on Martha’s Vineyard and the Edgartown courthouse.
Sheriff Robert Ogden described the lockup as a “police lockup,” responsible for the full custody process from arrest through release or sentence on the island, and said “we actually support six police departments, the state police, the courts, environmental, anybody that has a role in law enforcement on Martha’s Vineyard comes through our doors.” He told the committee workforce shortages, housing pressures and policing‑practice changes have reduced island departments’ capacity to operate separate lockup facilities.
Ogden said the bill does not seek direct state funding. “We would think possibly that same kind of structure that we provided for our regional communication system, we would actually go back to the towns … and request possible assessments to support the lock up,” he testified. He added the bill would “memorialize” the obligation and allow seeking grants or assessments; he said no state monetary commitment was being requested.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about funding and scope. Sheriff Ogden said the sheriff’s office provides booking, breathalyzer testing, fingerprinting and other services on the island and that rising costs have placed increasing financial obligation on the office.
No committee vote or directive was recorded at the close of testimony. The bill would enable the islands’ towns and partners to consider assessments or grant funding to sustain the lockup if lawmakers approve the enabling language.
