Dukes County Sheriff’s Office staff who are involved in the Special Operations Unit are responsible for the Inner Perimeter Security (I.P.S.), for conducting investigations of drug and gang-related activity within the Jail and House of Corrections, Tactical Operations, Emergency Management, and maintaining and operating the Mobile Command Unit. The Dukes County Sheriff’s Mobile Command Unit is a state-of-the-art communications command post, which can serve as an on-site base of operations in pre-planned or emergency situations.
Dukes County Sheriff’s Deputies join Officers from other Island Law Enforcement agencies to form the Martha’s Vineyard Law Enforcement Council (MVLEC) Tactical Response Team (T.R.T). The T.R.T. is designed to provide the Island’s communities with a flexible and effective response to unconventional and high risk law enforcement incidents, thereby increasing the likelihood of a safe resolution. The T.R.T. is comprised of a select group of highly motivated and well-conditioned officers, specially equipped and trained to function as a tactical unit in a variety of situations, who can be more effectively and safely employed for critical incidents which exceed the capability of standard police resources. Incidents to which the team may respond include but are not limited to: hostage situations and negotiations, barricaded suspects, sniper situations, active shooters, service of high-risk warrants, searches for armed subjects, VIP protection, civil disorder and other special events.