Suffolk County Sheriff's Department - Boston, MA

The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department joins in mourning Massachusetts Department of Correction Officer John Edwards, who passed away while in the line of duty at the North Central Correctional Institution in Gardner earlier today. We send our deeply heartfelt sympathies and condolences to Officer Edwards’ family, friends and colleagues and to our fellow brothers and sisters in corrections whose hearts are heavy with this loss of one of our own.

It is with profound sadness that the Massachusetts Department of Correction announces the sudden line-of-duty death of Correction Officer John Edwards, a 28-year veteran of the Department assigned to North Central Correctional Institution in Gardner. This morning, Officer Edwards suffered a medical emergency at his post and passed away.

Commissioner Shawn Jenkins issued the following statement in tribute to the fallen officer:

“Today, we mourn the loss of Correction Officer John Edwards, who served the Department of Correction for nearly three decades with unwavering dedication to our public safety mission. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues, and offer them our full support in the difficult days ahead. His service will never be forgotten.”

visit:https://scsdma.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2605.pdf
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Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women of the United States military who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.

Their courage, dedication, and service will never be forgotten as we reflect on the true meaning of .

For more information about Memorial Day and events happening in Boston, visit:
https://www.boston-discovery-guide.com/memorial-day.html

In preparation for Memorial Day, SCSD officers and CWP (Community Works Program) participants joined volunteers this week at Mount Hope Cemetery in Mattapan to plant flags at more than 16,000 veterans’ gravesites, honoring the lives and sacrifices of the men and women who served our nation.

The Mount Hope Cemetery is home to veterans from the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and generations of service members whose legacies continue to live on through this annual tradition. As each flag was placed, we took time to reflect on the history, courage, and sacrifice represented by every veteran headstone.

This meaningful initiative helps to prepare the cemetery for this Saturday’s Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans Monument, where the community will gather surrounded by thousands of flags standing in tribute to our veterans. 

Special thanks to Mary-dith Tuitt, Commander of the William E. Carter American Legion Post, Mattapan, for her support in our participation in this significant event.  

Stay tuned for more photos and videos of our planting flags efforts!

Happy from SCSD!

Over the weekend, members of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department convened at Franklin Park Playstead in Dorchester for a day of kite flying, bike riding, food truck enjoying, and community educating on SCSD’s programs and resources. 🪁🚲🌮

At the event, officers and staff passed out swag items, along with informational brochures. We also debuted SCSD’s tic-tac-toe and co****le boards, created by the Common Ground Institute (CGI).

This 50th Annual Kite & Bike Festival has been a Franklin Park tradition since 1969, hosted today by the Franklin Park Coalition. Thank you, , for inviting us to partake in the festivities! ☀️

❤️🪁🧵