This week we heard from Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker. Paul is a lifelong resident of Essex County and has spent his entire career devoted to law enforcement.

He's been the guest speaker of Rotary more times than he can count. This time, he focused on his time as District Attorney. One of his aims as a prosecutor is to tackle the job from a different point of view. His prior work in prosecution comes from his time on the police force. As chief, he implemented the Community Impact Unit which focused on day-to-day struggles of everyday Salem citizens. For example, they brought in a clinician to address the coming opioid epidemic before most Massachusetts cities. This model was copied by other cities. Another experience that played a major role on his thoughts on crime was on Paul's trip to Israel. He was struck by the amount of training for the security staff at an Israeli mall which had an incredible success rate. There were also amazing people that he met in Israel, like a woman who survived a bus bombing and was able to recover over the years. She got back on the bus and returned to work. Paul visited many sites of domestic terrorism. One goal of local officials is to get commerce up and running within 24 hours to ensure that terrorists got a message that even their successes could not deter the people of Israel. Paul also draws on his experiences working at the State House, including legislation for prison reform. The biggest challenge and change he has faced was around new technologies. He worked on police reform and certification. Another point of pride for Paul is the success rate of Massachusetts gun laws. The legislature moves slowly, but often gets it right.

 

Taking these experiences with him, Paul Tucker runs his office differently from a traditional district attorney. There is a staff of 170 people, from advocates to prosecutors. He did a road show of sorts to fill 14 vacancies for assistant district attorneys, and the result was a much more diverse staff. He put a spotlight on a few cases that stand out in his mind. One such case in Andover, a murder-suicide, involved social issues including mental health and domestic abuse. Paul focused on taking care of the first responders and officers who were involved in the case. The jobs contain a lot of stress, and these folks often need help dealing with such difficult circumstances. Another priority is keeping kids out of the incarceration system. The earlier kids get into the system, the higher the chance of recidivism. Another focus is Restorative Justice where victims of minor crimes can sit down with the perpetrators of the crimes. An example he gave was a shop owner in Arlington who faced two young men who broke into his store. Paul spoke about the rampant scams attacking the elderly. On the fun side of things, his office sponsored a flag football camp in Lawrence. There is a different camp with hundreds of kids, this year held at the junior high school in Peabody. The most popular event at this camp was when Anti Defamation League came and spoke to the kids. Paul explained how he deals with the media. He must keep in mind the impact on an investigation as well as various codes of ethics. He wants to instill a culture where lower staff like assistant district attorneys feel empowered to make important decisions.  

 

 

We are collecting photos for the calendar from an Salem Rotary events, from the Auction and DCF Picnic to scholarships and the boat race. For a list of the events or to send your photos contact Carolyn Shapiro. The deadline is Friday, September 29. 

 

From DG Lori Karas

Tim Clarke's wife Alice attended this week. Not Cialis, Bruce.

 

Alice 

Sold by Bob Conley

$170

 

Chris Casey and Mike McLaughlin played this week. No winners! 

 

 

 

The Manchester Essex Club is having a golf outing on October 3. Funds Allocation has paid for one Salem Rotarian to participate. Contact Carolyn Shapiro if you are interested in ONE spot.