Plymouth County District Attorney
Plymouth County District Attorney's Office
Brockton, Massachusetts, United States
Timothy J. Cruz has served as the District Attorney of Plymouth County since November, 2001. During that time, as chief law enforcement officer, DA Cruz has worked to protect and promote the public safety of county residents by investigating and prosecuting criminal cases. Toward that end, DA Cruz has strived to take guns, drugs, and violent felons off the streets, while partnering with local agencies to initiate programs to address social, economic, and health challenges facing our communities.
In 2015, DA Cruz and the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department created the county’s Drug Abuse Task Force. The Task Force serves as a clearinghouse for coordinating law enforcement efforts, education, overdose prevention, outreach, and data dissemination. In 2017, the Task Force partnered with all 28 police departments to develop and implement Plymouth County Outreach (PCO), a police-assisted recovery intervention program designed to conduct outreach visits to victims after an overdose occurs.
DA Cruz and his staff have also done ground-breaking work with drug endangered children, training members of law enforcement and school faculty on identifying and supporting students with Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Outside the courtroom, DA Cruz is out in the community. He and his staff conduct internet safety, and drug and alcohol awareness presentations for students, and work to protect senior citizens through the county’s TRIAD programs.
Most recently, the office created the pioneering Plymouth County Comfort Dog Program. The office used a combination of state and federal grant funding to support the program. The Plymouth County Comfort Dog Program has grown to over 20 dogs paired with handlers at local police departments throughout the county to assist with efforts in identifying, responding, supporting, and treating those impacted by anxiety, mental illness, and other drug related disorders.
Additionally, Bridgewater State University is conducting a study of the Plymouth County Comfort Dog Program, evaluating performance measures of the program’s effectiveness in enhancing resilience and supporting students and community members.
DA Cruz previously worked in private practice, and as an Assistant District Attorney in Plymouth County. He is a graduate of Boston College and Suffolk University Law School. DA Cruz is admitted to both the Massachusetts and U.S. District Court bars, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.
DA Cruz is past president of the Massachusetts District Attorney’s Association. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National District Attorney’s Association (NDAA), Chairman of the Communications & Public Relations Committee, and a member of the NDAA Executive Board.
Saturday, October 19, 2024
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET