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Cohasset discusses roughly 20 hours/week sheriff coverage this summer; budget inclusion for 2027 flagged
Summary
Council discussed a proposed sheriff's office presence of about 20 hours per week focused on park and recreation areas; councilors noted prior billing practices and flagged the need to consider the expense in 2027 budgeting.
Councilors reviewed a proposal for expanded sheriffoffice coverage during the summer, describing roughly 20 hours of coverage per week concentrated during peak times and focused on visibility, stops and awareness rather than routine heavy ticketing.
The council identified priority monitoring locations where activity increases in summer months, including park areas and Tioga Beach. Officials discussed adjusting hours based on need and emphasized that officers would concentrate on stops and awareness; the minutes state heavy ticketing would be reserved for severe violations. The minutes also note past billing practices where the sheriff's office sometimes submitted multiple months of charges together; the prior budget allocation for the program was about $10,000. Councilors said it is unclear whether that allocation is reflected in the 2026 budget and asked staff to coordinate with the chief deputy to align coverage priorities and to consider the amount in 2027 budget planning.
Next steps: staff will coordinate with the sheriff's office to confirm coverage priorities, billing cadence and whether and how the expense should be budgeted for 2027. No formal budget appropriation was approved on May 26.
