One high profile public office that is invariably in the news is that of District Attorney. Our district attorneys have the dual purpose to indict, try and convict perpetrators of crimes and also to prevent crimes from taking place in the first place. One of our most hard working, innovative, and effective district attorneys, Jonathan Blodgett, was recently the guest on my cable TV show “The Beacon” to explain the work of his office and its impact on the citizens of our region.

District Attorney Blodgett, a graduate of Princeton and the Suffolk University School of Law, runs an office of 174 individuals including 72 attorneys working in District Court, Superior Court, and the Appellate Division, as well as witness advocates and a juvenile justice division with a focus on prevention of crime. Elected twice to the position of district attorney after sixteen years in private practice, D.A. Blodgett’s office has a 95% conviction rate of felonies indicted and brought to trial. He strongly emphasizes prevention, especially by working with our schools and police to assist young people to make the good decisions that will keep them out of trouble and lead to their becoming better citizens. He runs programs that particularly help our youth to fight opiate abuse, teenage violence, and bullying, and to encourage internet safety.

Far before the new anti-bullying law was passed by the Legislature, D. A. Blodgett had established school safety and anti-bullying conferences. He teaches that bullying is not a “right of passage” but rather an unacceptable aggression that needs to be stopped, and if at all possible, stopped before it starts. He points to the Secret Service study showing that many violent youth feel they themselves are victims of unabated bullying and thereby provoked as outcasts into violent or tragic acts. Bullying is no longer confined to a few hours at the school playground, but rather with modern electronics is a 24-hour relentless phenomenon, with no chance to decompress in the safe haven of a home. Peer-to-peer programs have a demonstrated success in preventing bullying, as do programs established for schools and parents.

District attorneys also work closely with sheriffs on anti-gang and anti-youth-violence strategies. When young people are seduced into a gang either of two things will happen – either they will go to jail or die – for it is difficult and dangerous to leave a gang. D.A. Blodgett has presented an honest and stark message to young people regarding these dangers, and helped those wishing to get out of street gangs to avoid retribution.

Unfortunately, drug trafficking, another danger to our youth, is on the rise. Free samples, oxycontin, and cheap and nearly pure heroin are getting the next generation hooked. Overdoses and deaths are tragically common, and the crime that comes when prices are eventually jacked up affects all of us when cars and homes are broken into. D.A. Blodgett has a strong awareness program aimed at prevention which he provides fifth graders with the message that drug use is “quick, easy, cheap and it will kill you.”

Many scam artists have targeted our senior citizens through the internet. They often operate from countries with which we have no extradition treaties. Anyone victimized in a scam should call the police right away. There is no shame in being a victim, and by alerting police we can prevent cyber crooks from successfully preying on the elderly and other members of our community. D. A. Blodgett reminds us that, “if it sounds too good to be true – it isn’t true.”

Domestic violence is now understood as the very serious public safety issue that it is. District attorneys participate in programs that keep victims from being isolated and that track perpetrators. With this public health epidemic, D.A. Blodgett reminds us that “domestic violence is often a murder waiting to happen.” I and my fellow legislators have been very supportive of new Massachusetts laws that will help prevent the terror, horrific injuries, and tragic deaths that too often result from unchecked domestic violence.

One of District Attorney Blodgett’s greatest successes has been the prevention of auto insurance fraud. Faking accidents to secure insurance rewards has raised auto insurance rates for all of us. The 200 arrests and convictions of those involved in these nefarious schemes, including doctors, lawyers, and chiropractors, earned D.A. Blodgett an award for “Fraud Fighter of the Year.”

To reduce gun violence D.A. Blodgett encouraged the establishment of the successful specialized gun court in Lynn. Criminal charges involving guns are handled there expeditiously and with special expertise, with the result that gun related crime has decreased as have the criminal cases associated with it.

I congratulate District Attorney Blodgett and his fellow district attorneys for their hard and innovative work to prevent crime, and I am proud to be their partner in the Legislature to ensure they have the up-to-date legal framework to best carry out their mission to protect the safety of our community.