SALEM — State Rep. Paul Tucker (D-Salem) said the reason he is running for Essex County District Attorney is not to be a star prosecutor, but rather to be someone who has a vision and is a leader for the office.
“The job of the DA is about vision and bringing the office where it should be to set standards and to set the vision,” said Tucker. “The DA does not go in as a fantastic trial lawyer — that’s the Assistant District Attorney’s job.”
Tucker, 63, announced his candidacy for Essex County District Attorney on Jan. 5, shortly after Essex DA Jonathan Blodgett announced he would not seek a sixth term.
Tucker praised Blodgett’s work, namely in how his team looked at cases through an equitable lens and his diversion work, which is aimed at keeping juveniles out of the criminal-justice system.
He also supports Blodgett’s efforts in the county’s schools, citing the All-Stars Program at Breed Middle School in Lynn, which is funded by the DA’s office through the Lynn Police Department. The program is focused on helping participating students develop leadership skills and avoid self-destructive behaviors.
Attorney James O’Shea, a Lynn native, announced this week that he will also run for Essex County District Attorney. Having an opponent is a first for Tucker, who said he ran unopposed for his four terms in the State House.
If elected, Tucker said he wants to continue Blodgett’s work and highlight restorative justice and equity. So far, Blodgett has not endorsed a candidate in the DA’s race.
Tucker has been endorsed by the Lynn delegation — state Reps. Daniel Cahill and Peter Capano and Sen. Brendan Crighton — Salem Mayor Kimberley Driscoll, who is also a candidate for lieutenant governor; and all four Lynn Councilors-at-Large: Buzzy Barton, Brian Field, Brian LaPierre and Hong Net.
Tucker has had a non-traditional background as a candidate running for the District Attorney’s office. Instead of practicing law throughout his career, he instead opted for one in law enforcement, while also teaching law at the college level.
He worked for the Salem Police Department for 32 years, spending 22 years as a detective and becoming a captain by age 32. For 17 years, he was chief of the detectives bureau, overseeing the department’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID). In 2009, he became the city’s police chief, a position he retired from in 2014 after being elected as a state representative.
“There wasn’t a criminal case I didn’t see,” said Tucker, of his time with the police department.
Tucker practiced law for three months after graduating from law school and passing the bar exam, but soon switched careers after receiving calls from North Shore Community College and Salem State, which asked him to teach the profession instead. He teaches criminal law at both schools, saying that he is encouraged to see his students become interested in the subject.
As police chief, one of Tucker’s goals was to ensure faith in the system and build trust between residents and the police. During this time, he asked Driscoll if the city could use funds to turn an abandoned building into a teen center, where youths could avoid the streets by engaging in safer activities, such as playing basketball. During this time, Tucker said the city was going through a period of unrest.
“People — when they don’t have confidence in the system, things begin to crumble,” said Tucker. “Then we lose the ability to ask them to trust us.”
Reflecting on his time in the police department, Tucker said it is still just as difficult policing today as it was when he was in the department.
However, he said there have been strides made, noting that when he started off as a 23-year-old officer, there was no right of arrest if domestic incidents did not involve a weapon. He recalled his frustration with not being able to arrest those accused of committing domestic violence, and having to tell wives and girlfriends that he could only try to get them to a safe place.
“It took a while for laws to catch up,” said Tucker.
Of late, he said there has been a decrease in those seeking to become police officers. He said this might be because the job does not appear to be as attractive as it used to be.
“We used to have people going into policing in the tens of thousands,” Tucker said. “Now it’s way down.”
In 2015, Tucker became the representative for the 7th Essex District, which encompasses all of Salem. He has served on several House committees, including the Judiciary and Public Safety committees.
During his time as a legislator, Tucker supported two bills related to driver safety, one that called for ensuring that seat belts were worn at all times and a hands-free law that made it illegal to to talk on your cellphone, unless it was via a hands-free method.
Tucker said some of his colleagues were surprised when the hands-free legislation received concerns from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which said it could lead to racial profiling. While the legislation was aimed at ensuring traffic safety, Tucker said some of the concerns were centered around ensuring these motor vehicle stops for violations were not “pretextual stops” for further action from police.
The presented data showed what traffic stops looked like and the percentages of people of color who were being stopped, Tucker said. Ultimately, the ACLU’s involvement made for a better bill, which went into effect in February 2020, he said.
“Even if there is a perception, that perception becomes a reality,” said Tucker of the potential for racial profiling with these driver-safety laws.
Tucker touted his record as a legislator and experience in law enforcement when speaking about why he should be elected as the next district attorney. He said there will be times when the DA’s office, police departments, and the judiciary might not agree on prosecution.
But he said he believes that his ability to build and maintain strong relationships, and record of working toward racial equity initiatives — the Salem Police Department was the first in the area to hire two social workers and he’s keeping an eye on efforts to implement an unarmed crisis-response team in Lynn — are his strongest assets.
“It’s my experience lining up with the moment,” said Tucker. “What’s happening in criminal justice — not just here, but across the country — it calls for strong leadership.
Tucker and his wife of 39 years, Ann, have three children and six grandchildren.
