Berkshire County — On Wednesday, January 4, Berkshire County District Attorney Timothy Shugrue was sworn into office at a ceremony at Berkshire Superior Court.
Previously, Shugrue worked as an attorney for 28 years in the Pittsfield area. He served as the Hampden County Assistant District Attorney from 1986 to 1990, and Berkshire County Assistant District Attorney from 1991 to 1994. In September, Shugrue won the Democratic primary against incumbent Andrea Harrington.
“A district attorney is a salient job in our democracy,” Shugrue said in his speech after he was sworn in. “It is a job, a commitment, that requires an individual to devote all of oneself without a political agenda or desire for personal gain.”
In his speech, Shugrue referred to his primary campaign, and he also referred to Berkshire County Sheriff Thomas Bowler who won his re-election in September. “Sheriff Bowler, you and I spent nine months traveling all across Berkshire County,” Shugrue said. “We listened to voters talk about their concerns about public safety and what needs to happen to improve their quality of life and overarching safety in this place you and I have both called home since we were children. Along the way, we shared our visions about how, in our respective elected roles, we would continue to work on their behalf.”
Shugrue said that most of the staff who worked for Harrington, over 80 percent, have agreed to continue work in Shugrue’s administration. “Continuity and experience are valued in my administration,” Shugrue said. “This office, while an elected position, is not political. We are servants in our community.”
Shugrue said that he would deliver on his vision for the office that he developed during his time on the campaign trail. “[Residents] want increased District Attorney involvement,” he said. “They want proactive and visible support. They wanted more transparency. More simply put, voters wanted change and that is what I am here to deliver. I ran for district attorney because I wanted to restore competence and integrity to the district attorney’s office. I saw a need for law enforcement officers and the general public to have renewed confidence in the office, and I wanted victims of crimes to know that the district attorney will always offer them the support and protection they need.”
In his speech, Shugrue went on to say that his office would partner up with law enforcement offices across Berkshire County. “We will also value criminal justice reform,” he said. “I have defined myself as fair and responsible in my approach to reform and someone who advocates for and achieves effective and, more importantly, responsible progress. To see progress, we have to make changes. People who break the law must be held accountable for their actions. It is irresponsible to refuse to charge individuals who commit relatively minor crimes, such as shoplifting, and allow them to repeat their anti-social conduct time and time again with no consequences. There is a difference between compassionate justice that takes social factors into the equation and provides support programs in response to vagrant behavior versus complete blindness and unwillingness to act for larger political reasons.”
Shugrue went on to say “we need to expand our opinion of what a serious offense is.” He explained, “Illegal possession of a firearm is a crime that must be punished appropriately. There is a growing number of illegal firearms in our community—firearms brandished not by just adults but also by youth. When the community lives in fear of this violence, when our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to apprehend these individuals posing these deadly weapons, then it is our job to prosecute. These cases should not be reduced from felonies to misdemeanors and plea bargains away to non-jail sentences. I vow to you today to prosecute these cases vigorously and to seek state prison sentences when I think such a sentence is necessary to protect the public.”
Shugrue said that he would be stepping up community involvement by establishing a Department of Community Engagement within the District Attorney’s office. “The sole responsibility [of the office] will be to operate outside of the courts and solely focus on our community,” Shugrue said. “Through this department, I will reestablish partnerships with community stakeholders. I will return the District Attorney’s education programs to the schools. I will create new partnerships through education programs and accessibility to the District Attorney’s office for seniors living in Berkshire County. I will build the District Attorney’s office connection to mental health providers. I will provide support programs to families, especially grandparents and children, affected by the drug epidemic.”
Shugrue gave previews of how his administration would handle crime and other issues while he was on the campaign trail back in the summer. Back at a debate against Harrington on August 15, Shugrue said that he would prosecute low-level crimes and would prosecute cases involving drug possession. “I believe that progress is getting people to help,” Shugrue said. “I don’t believe in getting convictions for these individuals, but I believe in providing the resources we have in the court system with probation to get people the help they need.”
At the same debate, regarding gun violence in the area, Shugrue said, “We know why [people are] carrying weapons: it’s the drug trade.” He continued, “We need to stop that, and you can’t stop it by reducing those cases. In the last six months, I have seen so many [charges] in cases get reduced down from what could be jail sentences, to no jail sentences and then being pleaded out. That is not acceptable to me. Fifteen shootings since February is not acceptable to me, and shouldn’t be acceptable to you.”
Shugrue’s media representatives said that he was not available for an interview for this story.
