With a LEC, it’s like here comes the Calvary — they not only provide extra bodies, they provide expertise.”Nearly every police department in MetroWest and Greater Milford is part of one of three law enforcement councils — MetroLEC, Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (CEMLEC) or the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC). The original goal was to bring smaller departments together to share resources and to provide mutual aid when needed. The idea is to provide all of the specialized units that large police departments may have, but small departments can’t afford or do not have the staff to do so, Murphy said. “When you engage in a law enforcement council, there is always a pool of resources you can pull from,” said Westwood Police Chief Jeffrey Silva, president of MetroLEC. “There will always be tools to share.”Local departments say law enforcement councils are a resource worth much more than the $3,000 to $5,000 annual fee.

Source: MetroXpress September 19, 2021 09:00 UTC