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If elected District Attorney, my administration will seek to create positive changes in the relationship between the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office and the various Police Departments in Hampshire and Franklin counties and the Town of Athol by:

1. Creating a Law Enforcement Partnership – I intend to approach our police departments as partners in law enforcement, as a partnership between equals based on mutual respect.  The relationship between prosecutors and the police should be a collaborative partnership.  My door will always be open to the police and I pledge to work collaboratively with them. I will make it a part of my routine as DA to personally visit with each police chief on a regular basis to make sure that everyone in my Office is working collaboratively with the various police departments.  

2. Community Prosecution – As District Attorney, I will institute a Community Prosecution program through which every city and town will be assigned a specific Assistant District Attorney(s). In addition to their regular duties, each ADA will be directed to forge ties with local law enforcement and leaders in their assigned communities and to spend time in the community.  Like Community Policing, the Community Prosecutor approach has proven successful in other districts across the country.  We will build a District Attorney’s office that is better positioned to identify and respond quickly to emerging issues, prevent crime, and help make communities safer.

3. Understanding and Addressing the Unique Needs of the Police Departments in Our Cities and Towns – I believe that each city and town has unique law enforcement needs.  Early on in my administration, I commit to meet with every Chief of Police in the two counties and in Athol to discuss their unique law enforcement needs and then create a plan to address them. I pledge to provide the field support that police need, such as search warrant drafting and investigation consultation. This support will be available 24/7.  To the extent that this would require changes in allocations of funding and assignments within the DA’s Office, I plan to make those changes if need be to address the needs of the towns and cities the DA’s Office serves.  

4. Addressing Police Budget Issues – I believe that the DA’s Office has not been responsive to the budgetary problems of the police departments in our cities and towns which have created unnecessary financial pressures on our Police Departments.  In particular, I believe that the DA’s Office needs to be more attentive to scheduling officers into court which triggers overtime pay when those officers are not actually needed for trial.  As District Attorney, I will explore with the Police Chiefs and the Courts ways in which this common practice can be avoided in the future.  To the fullest extent possible, the DA’s office should be assisting police departments to expend their limited resources to investigate and prosecute serious crimes.

5. Fighting for Funding for Law Enforcement – On a political level, I pledge to fight vigorously for state and federal funding for our police departments.  This will be a top priority for me.  I believe that I have demonstrated the political skills necessary to take this message to Beacon Hill directly and to rally our various State Representatives and Senators to this very important cause.  Funding the fight against crime is a critical task and my political skills give me what is needed to make this a successful endeavor.

6. Law Enforcement Education and Training – The Office of District Attorney should be a strong partner in providing education and trainings to police departments.  With budget cuts affecting local police department budgets, it is more important than ever that the resources and knowledge of DA’s office, and special talents of Assistant District Attorneys, be shared.  Offering programs for law enforcement on criminal case law developments, search and seizure issues, forensic evidence, investigative techniques, and other important topics is vital to local law enforcement staying at the cutting edge.  In order to fully reach all 47 communities in the Northwestern District, all trainings would be videotaped and/or produced for webcast so all police departments can access these trainings and materials in a timely and cost-effective way.

"Dave has the administrative and the trial experience to be a great advocate for all the people of the Northwestern District and to be a proactive prosecutor who intervenes for young people and brings progressive values to the District Attorney's office." State Rep. Christopher Donelan, D-Orange.

"I appreciate a public servant with a strong moral compass and a passionate work ethic. Dave Sullivan possesses both and we will be well served by his dedicated professionalism representing law abiding taxpaying citizens of our area." State Sen Stephen Brewer, D-Barre.

"I've known Dave for over 10 years and have been extremely impressed with how he managed Probate Court. I look forward to watching him take charge of the DA's office." State Rep. Ellen Story, D-Amherst

"I'm proud to support Dave Sullivan, because he really understands his community, understands his district and has done a great deal for seniors and for other people." State Rep. John Scibak, D-South Hadley.

"I know that Dave will take the same kind of innovative thinking he brought to Probate and Family Court and bring it to the DA's office in working to protect us in our homes and on the streets from crime and violence. This is an opportunity for a new era, for change. I know Dave is the right person to write the next chapter and I'm thrilled to be supporting him." Northampton Mayor Clare Higgins

"A leader like Dave comes by once in a generation. We need a D.A. that understands that his work goes beyond trying cases." Mark Bail, longtime teacher and Granby selectman

"Dave Sullivan cares about seniors and their needs. As District Attorney his office will continue to be a partner in local S.A.L.T. councils working with law enforcement to keep seniors safe." Connie Clancy, former South Hadley Select Board member, Retired South Hadley Public Library director, Seniors and Law Enforcement Working Together (S.A.L.T.) Council member

"I'm proud to support Dave Sullivan, because he really understands his community, understands his district and has done a great deal for seniors and for other people." State Rep. John Scibak, D-South Hadley

"Dave Sullivan has some strong family values, and I think you need someone with family values. He understand the plight of the average man better than most people. He's got experience, he has knowledge and I know he has the moral courage to make decisions whether they're popular or not. " Retired South Hadley Police Chief William Schenker

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An Endorsement Letter from Local Prosecuters:

“An effective District Attorney is essential for a safer community. Based on our personal experiences as Prosecutors and our familiarity with the legal community, we believe David Sullivan is extraordinarily well qualified to serve as District Attorney and represents the BEST CHOICE for the citizens of the Northwestern District. Dave is a proven leader, a skilled trial lawyer, and an experienced administrator - the three attributes necessary to do the job right. And he has the character, the social conscience and the record of public service to do the job well.”

Signed: John Pucci, Danielle Barshak, David Angier, Edward F. Berlin, Christopher Donovan, Charles K Stevenson, Elizabeth Katz, Barry Auskern, Edward D. Etheredge, William St. James, Diane L. Fernald, Thomas J. O’Connor, Jr., Barbara J. Plante, Neil Sherring, Thomas W. Merrigan, Caleb Weiner, Robert T. Doyle, Jr., Michael J. Carey, Jay Clark, Melanie S. Lewis, Thomas M. O’Connor, Harry L. Miles, Winston Burt, Leslie McLellan Brown, Stella Xanthakos, Alexander Z. Nappan, William T. Welch, Jr., Michael A. Zewski, Mary Ryan O’Connell, Karen Betournay, Dean Whalen, Steven Samolewicz, Pierre Rodrigue, Sandra J. Staub, Francis McDonald, Kenneth Chaffee, Donald Allison, Frederick Bartmon, W. Michael Ryan, and Elaine Contant.

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Six of Nine Northampton City Councilors Endorse Dave Sullivan for Northwestern District Attorney, praising his judgment, experience and “passion for justice.”

"We want our District Attorney to protect the citizens of Northampton and the rest of the region from crime and to bring a passion for justice to the job. Dave Sullivan has the judgment, legal experience and proven management skills to be a great DA. We believe he is the best candidate for this office."

City Councilors Jesse M. Adams (Councilor-At-Large), Marianne LaBarge (Ward 6), David A. Murphy (Ward 5), Pamela C. Schwartz (Ward 4), Paul D. Spector (Ward 2) and City Council President David J. Narkewicz (Councilor-At-Large)

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David J. Holway, National President of SEIU/NAGE has announced that the National Association of Government Employees has endorsed Dave Sullivan for Northwestern District Attorney.

“Dave Sullivan has the judgment, legal experience, management skills, and above all, the passion for justice to be an outstanding District Attorney. I am proud to endorse him,” Holway said.

NAGE’s members include public workers – federal, state, county, and municipal employees—police officers, firefighters, correctional officers, health care workers – nurses, paramedics and emergency technicians – office workers, professional workers and allied workers and includes, among other groups, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers.

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Nine of Nine Easthampton City Councilors Endorse Dave Sullivan for Northwestern District Attorney

Easthampton City Council President Joseph P. McCoy (At-Large), Andrea Burns (At-Large), Donald L Cykowski (At-Large), Ronald D. Chateauneuf, (At-Large), Daniel C. Hagan (District 1), Justin P. Cobb (District 2), Joy E. Winnie (District 3) Salem Derby (District 4) and Daniel D. Rist (District 5) have all endorsed Dave Sullivan for Northwestern District Attorney.

"What resonates with me about Dave Sullivan is his empathy for those people who are often times overlooked by the justice system. Dave will bring a commitment to social justice, fairness and common sense to the DA's office,” said Joe McCoy, president of the council.

McCoy added, "Don't be fooled by Dave Sullivan's big smile. He will be fair but firm when dealing with crime in the Northwestern District"

Cobb said, "I have known and worked with Dave Sullivan over the years as a City Councilor and can attest to his dedication as a true public servant.

Sullivan, Cobb said, “has clearly demonstrated to me the strong leadership skills, legal experience, creativity and judgment that I believe make him the best and only candidate for the Northwestern District Attorney's office."

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Kathy Alexander, former director of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit of the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, Endorses Dave Sullivan for District Attorney

Dave Sullivan has “a sterling character and the vision to expand and grow the office of the D.A. and its service to the larger community,” said Kathy Alexander, retired longtime director of victim and witness assistance, outreach and education in the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office under District Attorneys Judd Carhart and Betsy Scheibel.

“I'm supporting my friend Dave Sullivan for D.A. because he will fight for victims of crime and he will bring the D.A.’s office into the larger community of Hampshire and Franklin counties and the town of Athol,” Alexander, now a teacher at Cardinal Spellman High School in New York, said.

“I really think the world of Dave Sullivan,” Alexander said. “When I was a victim/witness advocate and in my work within the larger community, he was so extremely supportive of the efforts that were being made on behalf of the community. His love of people is just so infectious. He has the wisdom and experience that I think is essential to the position of District Attorney.

“Dave believes in the goodness of people,” Alexander said. “I know that he has a tremendous sense of humor and an openness, and I think he’s going to be a very genuine district attorney. He has maturity and experience to bring to the staff of the district attorney, a way to raise them to the next level of their careers.”