Supporting First Responders

• Senator O’Connor believes that public safety officers who dedicate themselves to the safety of every Massachusetts resident are indispensable parts of our community. This is why Senator O’Connor fights for legislation that evaluates, reforms, and supports our Police and Fire Departments.
• As we modernize our public safety system to ensure equal protection of all citizens, regardless of race or color, Senator O’Connor believes in preserving due process for police officers, while implementing certification systems and increased training for the law enforcement profession.
• In the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget, Senator O’Connor secured $10,000 for the Weymouth Police Department to design and build a permanent memorial for Sergeant Michael Chesna, who was tragically killed in the line of duty on July 15, 2018, in defense of the community he loved and served.
• Senator O’Connor was a lead advocate in passing legislation to double the Line of Duty Death Benefit for the families of first responders from $150,000 to $300,000. The legislation was signed into law in 2017 and will provide more equitable relief for families who lost a loved one in the line of duty.
• In 2018, Senator O’Connor supported and passed “An Act relative to the municipal police training fund”, a landmark bill that established a funding mechanism to give our first responders the best training possible, so that they can meet the extreme demands of their job and confront threats to our communities and to themselves.
• Senator O’Connor’s legislation has also helped to fund Massachusetts Fire Departments, providing them with the equipment and resources they need to save lives. He co- sponsored a bill in 2018 that set up a bulk-purchasing program to buy extractors at a reduced price to clean fire gear, protecting fire fighters from the toxic carcinogens than can remain in gear after entering a burning building.

Adapting Public Safety Measures to Changing Environments

• Senator O’Connor has consistently advocated to pass legislation that fights crime and violence in the Commonwealth.
• He supports providing resources to law enforcement officials tasked with pursuing interstate traffickers of fentanyl and carfentanil, illegal firearms, and other underground criminal systems.
• In 2016, he sponsored an amendment allowing rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft to immediately suspend a driver if they have been cited for a serious safety violation. 
• In 2020, Senator O’Connor’s bill, commonly known as “Dana’s Law”, passed to create a registry of caretakers found to have abused individuals under their care. Once a person’s name appears on the registry, they will be barred from hire within the caretaking industry.

Strengthening laws to protect Domestic Violence Victims

• Senator O’Connor has been advocating for aggressive protection for anyone facing domestic threats. Working alongside victims and victims’ families, he continues to find ways to strengthen our laws to truly protect domestic violence victims. This includes:

• Increasing access to restraining orders and including ways to inform officials if there is an immediate threat to the victim’s life
• Improving the court and probation system to give domestic violence victims a stronger voice and increased protection from previous abusers
• Strengthening educational programs and monitoring for any person who has committed domestic abuse

Increasing the Security of Public Spaces

• In response to national gun violence tragedies, his legislation created “An Active Shooter/ Hostile Event Response” program, referred to as “ASHER”, as the standard guidelines for active shooter or hostile event situations in Massachusetts.
• In 2019, he also filed legislation to establish a grant program to assist municipalities without a School Resource Officer to afford one, believing in the ability of SRO’s to protect school campuses, foster a healthy social environment, and help students build positive relationships with law enforcement.  
• Supporting and securing school safety grants to South Shore public schools who apply for funding to increase security camera surveillance, door locking mechanisms, and communications systems.

Investing in Safety  

• In addition to advocating for legislation that promotes the health and safety of constituents, Senator O’Connor frequently secures funding for programs and resources to further protect communities.

• Examples of secured funding over the years includes: 
• $10 Million for municipal police training across the Commonwealth 
• $100,000 for structural repairs for the Humarock Fire Station in Scituate 
• $99,000 to implement the Buyer Diversion Treatment Alternative Program in towns of Weymouth, Quincy, Braintree, and Randolph. 
• $44,674 to Fire Departments across the South Shore for fire safety education programs. 
• $19,616 in grants to South Shore Fire Departments for gear and equipment that will reduce firefighters’ exposure to cancer-causing chemicals on the job