As he reportedly contemplates running for re-election for another term as Middlesex County sheriff, it’s reasonable to ask how long the county system will be able to keep down on the farm after experiencing another turn in the national spotlight.
No stranger to being recognized for his innovative inmate programs at the Billerica jail, Koutoujian was recently chosen by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to serve on the board of the First Responder Network (FirstNet) Authority, an independent entity in the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
He’d continue to serve as sheriff during his three-year stint on this prestigious committee.
Or would he?
Established in 2012 in response to communications failures during the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, the FirstNet Authority is part of a public-private partnership with AT&T.
According to the Department of Commerce, the board “oversees activities to ensure that the FirstNet Authority and AT&T – its commercial partner – develop, build, and operate a nationwide public safety broadband network that will best equip first responders to save lives and protect U.S. communities.”
The board includes an eclectic group of leaders from the public-safety community and government, individuals with experience in the financial and technology sectors, and representatives of the U.S. Attorney General, Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
“Ensuring our first responders in Middlesex County and across the United States have access to a high-quality broadband spectrum for communications is crucial not only for daily operations, but also for significant events and disaster response,” stated Koutoujian.
As the release announcing Koutoujian’s appointment indicated, he brings a wide range of experience from both inside and outside of law enforcement.
Koutoujian, who’s been sheriff of New England’s most-populous county since 2011, previously served as an assistant Middlesex district attorney and a state legislator representing the communities of Waltham, Newton, and Watertown.
A graduate of the Harvard’s Kennedy School, he’s the current president of the Major County Sheriffs of America, a founding member of Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration, and past president of the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association.
He also currently serves as on the Executive Committee of the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center.
“Just as we have done with issues ranging from the opioid crisis and Pell Grant restoration to criminal justice reform, I am always eager to work with leaders from across the country on the policy issues that can make a real impact on community life,” said Koutoujian, a Waltham resident.
As we previously mentioned, Koutoujian has initiated several landmark programs at the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office that have garnered national attention.
These include a medication-assisted treatment program recognized as a Center of Excellence by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC); a Housing Unit for Military Veterans (HUMV) that has been touted by the Washington Examiner and Vice News Tonight; and a unique program for young-adult offenders that has been called “one of the most important criminal justice reform experiments in the country” by the Boston Globe, to name just a few.
Under Koutoujian’s leadership, Middlesex County was chosen as one of three Data Driven Justice (DDJ) Project pilot sites by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, a national effort focused on linking police, jail, hospital and service-provider data to identify individuals with behavioral-health needs within in these systems with a goal of producing better outcomes that enhance public safety.
Given all he’s accomplished, will this latest national recognition suffice for our county sheriff, or will the lure of a permanent position in Washington be an offer he can’t refuse?
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