MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Ten Martin County deputies recently completed a week-long deployment at the controversial Alligator Alcatraz detention facility, providing rare insight into operations at the heavily guarded site.
Lieutenant Michael McCarthy, watch commander for the agency's Rapid Response Team, said his team was impressed by the facility's organization despite its rapid construction.
WATCH: Martin County law enforcement shares rare insight into controversial detention facility
"For something that was constructed on such short notice, it was extremely impressive from a logistical standpoint," McCarthy said.
The deployment is part of a year-long mission stretching through next June. McCarthy said the governor's office asked all sheriff's offices in Florida to send teams to the site on a weekly rotating basis.
The deputies' role focused strictly on security operations, including checkpoint management and perimeter protection. They did not interact with detainees housed at the facility.
"We do not interact with the detainees at all. We had no interaction. They're within the fenced-in detention facility. We never breached or went into that facility. The only time we ever even saw them is when they would be escorted via bus to the flight line to be flown out," McCarthy said.
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McCarthy described seeing numerous detainees being transported in and out of the facility but characterized his team's overall deployment as uneventful.
He noted that protesters and demonstrators who remained near the facility appeared experienced and stayed off the property.
"A lot of the people that are still there are more of your seasoned protesters or demonstrators. So they knew what they could and couldn't do. They stayed off the property," McCarthy said.
McCarthy offered insight into conditions at the facility, which has been largely hidden from public view behind fences and security barriers.
"You watch the news, and that's a lot of your perception and what you build in your head, and there was a lot of negative connotation surrounding the facility itself," McCarthy said.
He described the facility as well-organized and focused on safety protocols.
"It was extremely clean. It was extremely well-run, well put together and organized," McCarthy said. "It's very much geared towards safety, and they're not looking to have any incidents. It definitely wasn't what I expected."
The facility continues to face legal challenges, with three ongoing lawsuits filed against its operations.
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