Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz

BIOGRAPHY OF
TIMOTHY J. CRUZ

AWARDS | COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

The eleven Massachusetts District Attorneys have elected Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz as President of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, an independent state agency that coordinates technology, training and policy for Massachusetts prosecutors.

Cruz has been the Plymouth District Attorney since November 8, 2001, when he was appointed by Governor Jane Swift to succeed former District Attorney Michael Sullivan, who became the United States Attorney in the fall of 2001.   Cruz was elected District Attorney in 2002 and re-elected to a full four-year term in November 2006.

Cruz´s top priority as MDAA President will be to help insure quality prosecutions during the economic downturn facing the Commonwealth and the nation.   As with all other state agencies, the District Attorneys have already had to cut their budgets during the current fiscal year, and the new fiscal year that starts on July 1, 2010 will bring additional and steeper cuts.   Under Cruz´s leadership, the MDAA will work closely with the Legislature and the Administration to strengthen public safety while developing and implementing cost-saving measures within the criminal justice system.

Cruz began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Plymouth County in 1985.

During his 8 years as District Attorney, Cruz has increased law enforcement suppression efforts and proactive violence prevention initiatives by administering the federally supported Project Safe Neighborhoods and Weed and Seed programs.   Project Safe Neighborhoods is a commitment to reduce gun and gang crime by networking existing local programs that target gun and gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.

Strategies implemented by District Attorney Cruz include the vertical prosecution of violent gun cases from high crime neighborhoods, Ceasefire offender notification panels and a partnership with the Brockton Police Department to install ShotSpotter, a gunshot audio detection system.
Efforts like these have yielded a 9% decrease in firearm incidents in the City of Brockton.

Weed and Seed is a Department of Justice initiative to "weed" out criminal activity and "seed" in community programs and neighborhood restoration efforts.   Under Cruz´s leadership, the Weed and Seed program in Brockton has increased suppression activities in gun and drug hot spots, supported parole ridealongs, purchased surveillance cameras and funded crime analysis that is used to appropriately direct law enforcement resources to neighborhoods with the highest incidence of crime.   Consequently, Brockton´s drug incident rate has decreased by 11% since 2007.

Cruz is also a tireless supporter of proactive prevention initiatives.   His office works collaboratively with local law enforcement, social service agencies, health care professionals and educators forming many strategic alliances to address the social, economic and health issues facing citizens of the county.   Cruz also uses his role as District Attorney to promote positive change in the community.   He has participated personally and offered the resources of his office to such groups as the Brockton Blueprint Coalition, Brockton´s Promise, the Plymouth Youth Development Collaborative, and the Child Witness to Violence Task Force.    He has established the first public/private partnership in Massachusetts by initiating a full service, one stop Children Advocacy Center for Plymouth County.   He presented at the 2009 National Deptartment of Justice Weed and Seed conference on best practices in "Helping Traumatized Children Succeed in School and In the Community."

Mr. Cruz, 50 years old, is a graduate of the Boston College and Suffolk Law School.   He lives in Marshfield with his wife, Rose Marie, and his two sons, Tim and Alex.

He succeeds Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless as President of the MDAA.   District Attorney Samuel Sutter, who serves the people of Bristol County, has been elected Vice President.

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AWARDS

2009 Community Service Award, Massachusetts Bar Association - December 10, 2009

District Attorney Timothy Cruz was named this year´s Community Service Receipient, in recognition of his service as District Attorney and for the contributions that he has made to his community. The honor was presented at a reception held at Thorny Lea Golf Club, in Brockton, MA.

Annual Gala Honoree, Marshfield Boys and Girls Club - September, 2007

District Attorney Timothy Cruz was named this year's Gala Honoree, in recognition of his support for the Boys and Girls Club. The honor was presented at the Boys and Girls Club's annual "Evening under the Stars Gala".

2nd Annual Ally Award, The ALLY Foundation - August, 2004

The ALLY Foundation was established in memory of Alexandra Zapp. Its mission is to prevent opportunities for violent sex offences, to educate the public, and advocate for necessary changes in culture, attitude and legal policy.

Outstanding Local
Prosecutor´s Office, 2004 Project Safe Neighborhoods Achievement Awards, United States Department of Justice - June, 2004

Project Safe Neighborhood is President Bush´s comprehensive initiative to combat gun crime in America by providing locally-based programs with the tools and resources they need to succeed.

Community Service Award for 2003, Brockton Housing Authority - February, 2004

In recognition of exemplary service to the citizens of Plymouth County and in appreciation for continuous commitment to the safety and education of all our children.

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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

The District Attorney has worked to reduce violent crime, particularly the violent gun crime that has plagued this community.   District Attorney Cruz works with the US Attorney's Office on a national firearm violence effort - Project Safe Neighborhoods.

This initiative focuses on reducing firearm violence in this community through targeted enforcement and prevention programs.   The targeted enforcement includes working with the Brockton Police Impact Shift, state and federal investigators to remove repeat firearm offenders from this community for as long as possible.

Additionally, the District Attorney has used technology advances to improve this investigation and prosecution of criminals.   These include surveillance cameras, an offender data base accessed remotely by laptop computers, cell phone connections directly from the police investigators 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, night vision binoculars, and crime mapping used to focus law enforcement resources on the locations where the crime data indicates an increase in activity.

The prevention programs include the implementation of Project Ceasefire, a program designed to encourage at-risk youths to avoid the pitfalls of the criminal lifestyle, and to take advantage of the numerous programs offered by committed agencies citywide.

The District Attorney, working through the Brockton Blueprint Coalition, has also been instrumental in the development of Brockton's Promise, a youth development framework that champions all youth and works for system change to most effectively meet their needs.

Working with the Brockton Police Department , Brockton Public Schools, and several mental health agencies, the District Attorney has been instrumental in identifying and addressing the large number of children who are victimized or witness violence within their homes and communities.   To this end, he has developed a county-wide Child Advocacy Center to assist in providing children and families who are victimized by violence and sexual abuse with much needed services.

The District Attorney is also developing partnerships with our schools to provide safe and secure environments by addressing the issue of Internet safety, bullying, drugs, alcohol abuse, and school threats.

Recently, working with the Sheehan Foundation, the District Attorney secured funds to continue the Brockton Housing Authority's After School Program.

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