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Dukes County Sheriff

DUKES COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Sheriff Odgen

Sheriff Robert Ogden
Dukes County Sheriff’s Office
149 Main Street

Edgartown MA 02539
(508) 696-0808

https://www.dukescountysheriff.com/

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dukescountysheriff

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DukesOffice

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNh61izKB-fQyZTLxC1KREA

Sheriff Robert Ogden has served as Sheriff of Dukes County since taking the oath and being sworn in on January 4, 2017. Bob is a resident of West Tisbury, along with his wife Jeanne and daughter Olivia. Sheriff Ogden graduated from Westfield State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement. His dedication to serving the people of Dukes County is evident in his 30+ years of dedicated work with the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office.  
 
A passionate community advocate, Sheriff Ogden actively supports youth, Veteran and community services across the Island. Bob held the position of President of the Dukes County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association Inc. for over 20 years, and currently serves as an active member on:

  • West Tisbury Democratic Town Committee (Elected 2020)

  • Martha’s Vineyard Democrats

  • MV NAACP

  • Coalition to Create the MV Housing Bank

  • Martha’s Vineyard Law Enforcement Council

  • International Association of Police Chiefs

  • Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association

  • American Jail Association

  • American Correctional Association

  • Member of the Small & Rural Law Enforcement Executive Association

  • Completed National Institute of Corrections Sheriffs Academy


Prior to being elected as Sheriff, Bob acted as Director of the Drug Information Bureau for 22 years, with a range of duties including: 

  • Regional Drug Abuse Resistance Education Officer

  • Grant Writer

  • Community liaison for youth prevention services

  • DARE Operation Challenge Ropes Course project coordinator, manager, maintenance, and counselor.


As Sheriff, Bob Ogden advocates tirelessly for the community, maintaining and enhancing the vital programs and services of the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office. Bob’s knowledge of Massachusetts General Law, as it relates to correctional regulations and practices, fuels his persistent and successful advocacy. Under Bob’s term as Sheriff, Chapter 111B was amended, citing Dukes County Sheriff’s Office as the regional entity for Protective Custody.

history

History of the Dukes County Sheriff's Office

 

THE DUKES COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE REMAINS ONE OF THE OLDEST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN AMERICA.”

-The History of Martha's Vineyard V, Dr. Charles E. Banks

 

Sheriff Robert Ogden, the current Sheriff of Dukes County, was elected into office in 2017. Previous to that, Sheriff Ogden had been employed at the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office for 26 years, acting as Director of the Drug Information Bureau for 22 of those years.  

 

Documentation of the first Dukes County Sheriff dates back to the 1600s when Dukes County was incorporated in 1683 as a province of the Colony of New York; at the time it included the island of Nantucket. In 1691, Dukes County was transferred to Massachusetts Bay Colony. The County was officially incorporated in 1695, without Nantucket, prompting the establishment of a regional authority; the first Sheriff of Dukes County.

The original Dukes County Jail was built in 1808, where the current Registry of Deeds is today. Built of stone and brick behind a keeper’s house, the 20-by-12 foot, two-story jail consisted of four rooms. In 1875, under Sheriff Francis Smith, the original jail was removed and a new jail was constructed, with 12 cells that are still in use today.

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