By Patrick McGroarty
News Editor

Democratic candidate for governor Deval Patrick unveiled a "Public Safety Plan" at a press conference last Thursday from his campaign office in Grove Hall.

With supporters including Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral and former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger looking on, Patrick pledged to add 1,000 new police officers across the Commonwealth and to re-introduce an anti-crime council that would make recommendations to the governor. Patrick said a similar council existed during the Dukakis administration, and that such a body might include local mayors, district attorneys, police officers, clergy, and legislators together with federal officials.

Patrick said the council would address CORI reform and strategies for rebuilding relations between residents and law enforcement officials.

"We need to re-affirm that we have a stake in each other," said Patrick.

Regardings his pledge to add 1,000 new police officers if elected, Patrick told the Reporter he was uncertain how many of those officers would be added withing the Boston Police Department,

"We'll deploy the officers depending on where they're needed," said Patrick. "The projected cost is about $80 million, and I call that short money. Sooner or later we need to make an investment in community policing."

Patrick also pledged his commitment to legislation that would curb the flow of guns into Massachusetts.

Cabral said she was especially interested in using the council to address the need for an increase in the attention given to incarcerated individuals as they re-enter society. She explained that while individuals incarcerated at the county level have a variety of established re-entry resources at their disposal, the larger state system is often disconnected from local communities.

"We start while an individual is in custody, building education and life skills," she said. "Partnerships with the community are crucial in helping someone make the transition back into normal life. The county has many of those community relationships, but the state is challenged in that regard."

-Patrick McGroarty