BY VINAYA SAKSENA

CUMBERLAND — If a riot or other form of emergency breaks out at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Cumberland Police officers may now be among those expected to respond, under the terms of an agreement entered by town officials this week.

On Wednesday, November 5, the Cumberland Town Council voted unanimously to authorize Police Chief John Desmarais to enter a mutual aid agreement with the facility, with the department to provide assistance to the Central Falls-based detention facility under certain conditions.
According to a copy of the agreement, the agreement took effect on October 7, when it was signed by Wyatt Detention Facility Warden Wayne Salisbury, with the agreement to be fully “implemented within thirty days.”
According to Desmarais, the agreement would make his department one of several that could be contacted to assist with an emergency at the facility. The text of the agreement also listed the following as participating agencies: The Central Falls Police Department and Fire Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the state police departments of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Amtrak Police and the police departments of Pawtucket and Lincoln.
“It’s a very good (idea), because if something happens down at the detention facility, there’s a plan in place,” Desmarais said. “We’d be more than happy to go down and assist them.”
Although the council voted unanimously in favor of allowing Desmarais to enter the agreement at their meeting on Wednesday, some expressed concerns before doing so, and asked Desmarais to address those concerns, particularly the cost of entering the agreement. Desmarais said he did not expect the department to incur any significant additional costs as a result of the agreement, noting that his department would not be the first to respond in the event of an emergency.
In the event of one or more prisoners escaping or attempting to escape, for example, the agreement specifies the Central Falls Police Department as the first agency to be contacted for assistance. Other agencies would be notified of the emergency by Wyatt personnel. However, if other agencies’ assistance is needed, they will be notified by the Central Falls Police Department. The agreement also specifies which agencies will be responsible for notifying affected federal authorities in various scenarios.
According to the agreement text, a command post will be set up in the event of an emergency, with each participating agency sending a representative to this post to enable efficient communication with all agencies involved in the agreement. This post will initially be set up at the Wyatt, but may be moved to another location if needed.
Types of scenarios which may trigger the agreement include: escapes or attempted escapes, hostage incidents, detainee disorder, “job action, civil disorders,” fires, bombings or bomb threats, criminal investigations and “environmental disorders,” the latter of which includes “loss of utilities, toxic chemical contamination, inclement weather conditions, etc.,” according to the agreement text.
In the event of an emergency, traffic around the facility would be managed by Central Falls Police. The warden or a designee would conduct periodic “news releases” in such a scenario, in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Service. However, news media access will be restricted in emergencies.
“During any emergency situation at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility, news media will not be allowed on the facility property,” the agreement reads. “Facility staff will direct them to the location across Blackstone Street adjacent to the ball field.”