Work with our Communities to increase Public Safety for All

• Bring together community groups and municipalities to develop community based approaches to public safety issues. 
• Develop a county-wide community online resource center to connect residents to public health and safety resources. 
• Serve as a county-wide hub when public health and safety crises arise
• Expand and identify new community partnerships to expand the effectiveness of existing programs, like the yellow dot program and R U OK, and create additional avenues to serve Norfolk County residents. 
• Seek out and focus on the perspectives of diverse ethnic communities and immigrant populations across Norfolk County when developing policies and programming in the Sheriff’s Office
• Work with health care professionals and non-profit organizations to address addiction and help people get the services they need, before they are in crisis
• Work to break cycles of domestic violence by working closely with victims (including notifications of release of abusers) as well as providing training, counseling, and programming for abusers in custody.
• Increase youth programming including expanding the Sheriff’s camp to include a location in the southern part of the county, increase participation from one week to two weeks.
• Implement a “counselor-in-training” program at the camp for kids 14-17, to increase their leadership skills and keep them on the right path. 
• Seek out additional grant money not being utilized to increase the effectiveness of public safety programs around the county.

Ensure an Efficient and Effective Sheriff’s Office

• Conduct an immediate fiscal audit and assessment of programs and operations to ensure the office and jail are running as efficiently and effectively as possible 
• Assess infrastructure needs and create a plan to address those issues before they become costly and require urgent repairs
• Develop additional options for ways to save taxpayer money including increasing the use of alternative energy and actively seeking out grant funding.
• Create a plan to address the updating of Sheriff’s office equipment to make sure officers and staff are able to do their jobs efficiently and safely.
• Ensure officers and staff have access to the training they need.
• Develop and utilize an effective metrics program  to measure results of programs to ensure they are meeting goals.

Put People on the Right Path Forward

• Create programs and units within the correctional facility to address the needs and issues of specific groups who need specialized services, such as veterans who often deal with substance abuse and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, to identify the root causes of their problems and redirect them towards the right path before returning to their community.
• Serve as a leader among County Sheriffs to address gender inequities in corrections plans across the state.
• Explore the feasibility of creating separate juvenile and first-time offender units and a separate female detention facility within the jurisdiction of the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office.
• Increase diversion programs, utilizing my relationships in the Trial Court through our District, Probate & Family, Drug, Veterans, and Housing Courts, to get people the help they need.

• Work with our friends in labor unions and community-based instructors to institute education and training programs for inmates to gain valuable skills in a variety of trades that will give them the ability to secure employment and be self-sufficient after they are released.

Keep People Successful Outside of Prisons

• Ensure that prior to leaving the system, prisoners are able to secure health care (including addiction and mental health care), employment, housing and other services to set them on a path to success and reduce the chances of recidivism.
• Work with local law enforcement professionals and probation officers and secure non-profit agency partnerships to ensure receipt and continuity of services for parolees in order for them stay on the right path forward.

Economy

All Families Budget. Our Government Should Too.

Good government is built on fairness. When you entrust your tax dollar to the Commonwealth, you should see that value come back to you in the form of good roads and efficient services. Pat has always been a good financial steward as Register of Probate, bringing his office expenses in on or under budget fourteen years in a row.

Job Creation Begins With Us.

Many politicians like to talk about job creation in the abstract. But for families and individuals struggling with unemployment or underemployment, talking is not enough. We need concrete solutions, and that starts with the right education. Pat’s plan to create competitive training programs at Massachusetts public universities will give jobseekers the update to their resume that will get them to work faster.

A Dollar Invested Today Is Ten Dollars Saved Tomorrow.

While keeping budgets lean is always Pat’s priority, he also knows a good deal when he sees one. Today’s leaders too often cut the services of today without considering the impact of tomorrow. A smart budget makes key investments in the future, ultimately saving the Commonwealth money. Pat’s budgets clearly outline not only what we’re spending, but why we’re spending it.

Education

Every Child Deserves a Head Start

The science is clear: several studies, including one at our own MIT, found that every single dollar spent on early education produces thirteen dollars in societal benefits down the line. It’s not only the smartest investment we can make, it’s the most important. Pat is committed to quality pre-K available in every part of the Commonwealth.

Teaching Our Next Generation 

We cannot build the next generation economy without educating the next generation to be prepared for it. The Department of Education listed 73 schools as underperforming last year. That is tens of thousands of students whose only mistake is the bus they take. Pat’s proposal will set a strict mandate for underperforming schools while beefing up state investment to turn them around.

Let’s Make College Affordable 

As the hub of higher education, Massachusetts should take the lead in putting students to work in the professions they are so passionate about. Pat’s plan is to create competitive job training programs at every single public college and university. These programs will team students with Massachusetts employers, jump starting on our economy on both ends.

Public Safety

Protecting Our Communities 

A major priority of a McDermott administration will be the ensuring our Commonwealth is protected. In our uncertain and volatile world, we need a leader who has worked alongside police and fire and will hear the needs of first responders. Pat’s plan calls for a percentage of direct local aid to be earmarked for emergency services such as police & fire.

It’s Time to Get Serious About Drugs 

Pat has been on the forefront of the opioid epidemic for nearly a decade. Pat led an interagency task force and enforced actions to help fight overdoses and addiction in Norfolk County. We can spare no expense in a fight with addiction, and Pat has stood as a leader in new and innovative ideas to combat it.

Restructuring our Infrastructure 

For a state that leads the nation in so much else, our Commonwealth suffers from terrible road and bridge repair. Over the past year, 446 bridges were found structurally deficient – or 8.6% of all bridges in the state. Some of those bridges hold up I-93, I-95, I-90, and other critical highways. We cannot wait for the tragedy of a bridge collapse before acting. Pat would work with the Department of Transportation, local unions, and town officials to make our roads safe again.

Efficient Government

We Make Government Better by Running Each Office Better 

Pat has run a government agency. He has seen when government runs well and when it does not: the difference is the leadership. As Register of Probate, Pat’s court handled nearly 7,000 cases a year without creating a backlog. Our government needs a manager who can streamline the bureaucracy and produce results.

Good Government Serves You 

When he first came to the Family and Probate Court, Pat revamped the office to be more user-friendly. He instituted walk-in hours for constituents, the Lawyer for a Day program for those seeking legal advice, and a training series that taught court workers conflict mediation. Pat puts the public first, just as any good leader does.

Time to Cut the Waste 

As someone who has overseen a government budgets on the municipal and state level, Pat knows that it takes a keen eye and a sharp pencil to find the savings. Yet there are instances of fraud and abuse that must be rooted out. Pat is not afraid to give the budget a close shave, and ensure there is no waste in the Commonwealth’s drive to success.

Energy & The Environment

Building a 21st Century Powerhouse 

Massachusetts has an incredible opportunity with its physical and intellectual capital to capture the next wave of American energy. We must be willing to find solutions and test theories towards a safer and more secure energy future. Things like investing in our electric grid both make us greener and make us safer; a rare win-win.

Sustainability as a Belief 

Pat’s belief in sustainability goes back to his Catholic roots and his Jesuit education. We only have one planet, and we are tasked with caring for it and beautifying it for future generations. Pat’s proposal calls for a green tech investment fund built from new construction and corporate tax deductions. Only together can our community preserve itself.

You Choose Your Energy 

By improving our energy infrastructure in the ways described above, we can begin to attract new companies and market options to our state. Consumers win when multiple energy companies compete for their service, and Massachusetts is poised to take advantage.