The Grafton Patch
Responding to a request from Grafton Police Chief Normand Crepeau Jr., Worcester County Sheriff Lewis G. Evangelidis recently provided free inmate labor through the Sheriff’s Inmate Community Service Program to the Grafton Police Department for the National Night Out Block Party on Aug. 7.
On the morning of the event, the Sheriff’s inmate work crew provided Chief Crepeau and the Grafton Police Department with some much needed manpower, helping to make the significant task of setting up for N.N.O. attended by hundreds from the Grafton Community much easier. The National Night Out Block Party, hosted locally at Grafton’s police headquarters, is now celebrated by 15,000 communities from all 50 states and has become a an annual event that highlights the partnership among town officials, law enforcement and the local community, providing individuals with important information on crime prevention, drug awareness and public safety.
The Sheriff’s inmate work crew made a special return visit to Grafton’s Police Headquarters on Aug. 8, the day following the event, to help the department clean up. The project completed by the Sheriff’s Inmate Community Service Program saved the department several hundred dollars.
The Sheriff’s inmate work crews are made up of nonviolent, non-sex offender individuals approaching the end of their sentence who have earned a place in the Community Service Program.
Since taking office last year, Sheriff Evangelidis has more than tripled the size of the Inmate Community Service Program and in addition to recently helping at the Grafton Police Department, also provided inmate work crews to complete projects at the town’s municipal center, housing authority, state police museum, and Silver Lake, providing a significant savings of well over $25,000 for Grafton’s community.
“The Inmate Community Service Program has provided a true win-win for the town of Grafton and for the Sheriff’s Department. With local communities and worthy organizations continuing to struggle during these tough fiscal times our inmate work crews are able to accomplish many projects at no cost resulting in a significant savings for municipalities and non-profit organizations while inmates who are selected for the program appreciate the opportunity of a productive days work,” Evangelidis said. “With over 2.5 million dollars in savings for our local communities since last year, the Inmate Community Service Program continues to serve as a great asset. As Sheriff, I am thrilled to provide this much needed and valuable resource to the Grafton Police Department for their National Night Out Block Party, which is a wonderful family event that provides invaluable information and resources to the local community on crime prevention, drug awareness and public safety.”
“On behalf of the Grafton Police Department, I would like to thank and recognize Sheriff Evangelidis and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department for providing assistance to our department with the set up and clean up of our very successful National Night Out Block Party,” Chief Crepeau said in a release. “The Sheriff’s inmate work crews were a tremendous help and provided a significant cost savings for our highly attended public safety event and we are also very vappreciative to have had the WCSO Emergency Vehicle Mobile Command Unit in attendance as well. It is my sincere wish to partner again with Sheriff Evangelidis and the WCSO as we strive to make next year’s National Night Out Event even bigger and better.”
