Working closely with Mayor Dan Rivera and Lawrence Police Department, Barry supported the hiring of more officers who identify as minorities, making LPD a majority minority police department that is more representative of the community’s population.

Lawrence has seen plummeting crime rates in recent years, due in part to the work Barry has done to secure funding for key programs in the community. In 2000, Lawrence saw over 1800 cars stolen. After years of work with community groups and the Lawrence Police Department, that number has been reduced 12-fold to just over 140 cars in 2020.

Barry secured $25k in state budget funds for Lawrence Dream Network, a nonprofit organization that works to reduce recidivism, improving the community and increasing public safety overall.

When the Tewksbury Fire Department was in need of a new ambulance, Barry worked with the legislative delegation to secure the necessary $75k in the state budget.

Additionally, Barry secured $100,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding to build a retreat for first responders and veterans with PTSD.

As Chair of the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity, Barry’s commitment to bolstering public safety extends online as well. In 2022, Barry secured $1.5M in seed funding for a new cybersecurity consortium, which will strengthen workforce training programs and provide real-time monitoring of cyber threats.

Barry is currently spearheading comprehensive, bipartisan legislation that establishes core standards for how companies can collect, use, and sell personal information, with heightened protections for children under 16. As a father of teenagers, he believes strongly in the need to ensure their online privacy is protected.