Coronavirus: State Police To Deploy Extra Support To Islands

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA — The Massachusetts State Police announced on Friday that additional troopers will be deployed to Nantucket and the island towns of Martha's Vineyard in order to increase safety capabilities during the coronavirus emergency. The six island towns of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket combined to either approve or provisionally approve strict stay-at-home directives that include possible $1,000 fines for violations involving any non-essential travel.

State Police Colonel Christopher Mason directed two additional troopers to the State Police barracks in Nantucket and one additional trooper to the State Police barracks in Oak Bluffs to supplement State Police personnel in both stations. Col. Mason said the additional will be in place by the start of next week.

The additional personnel will assist permanent troopers at the barracks to perform general patrol and policing duties and assist local police departments with public safety missions as needed.

The island towns of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are asking businesses and residents to voluntarily comply with the towns' ban on non-essential construction and landscaping during the coronavirus pandemic. The towns sent a letter to Gov. Charlie Baker's office on Thursday asking the state to waive the exemption for those services in the state "stay-at-home" order, wich the island towns said some have argued supersedes the local ordinances.

The island towns argue that the insular nature of island populations, out-of-town summer population, limited medical services and limited access to mutual aid all make them uniquely susceptible to a rapid community spread of the new coronavirus.

The towns' orders made exceptions for essential services such as grocery stores, pharmacies and travel to take care of others and their pets, but prohibited construction and landscaping. The island towns towns said that construction companies have contacted the town of Nantucket seeking to restart their projects in light of the governor's exemption.

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