Massachusetts Coalition of Police, Massachusetts Police Association Say They Trust Coakley’s Public Safety Record, Enthusiastically Endorse Her for Re-Election as Attorney General

For immediate release: September 30, 2010    

Contact: Corey Welford, (617) 877-0535

BOSTON - Calling her the candidate best prepared to keep Massachusetts kids, seniors, and families safe, two major law enforcement organizations announced their support for Attorney General Martha Coakley’s re-election campaign.  Martha received the endorsement of the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (Massachusetts C.O.P.) and the Massachusetts Police Association (MPA), representing law enforcement officers across the Commonwealth.

“I’m pleased to have the support of police officers and other law enforcement leaders in my re-election campaign,” said Attorney General Coakley. “It's more important than ever that law enforcement work together to keep people safe.  From community and school safety issues to the increasingly complex threats online to our national security- there are serious challenges ahead that demand leadership and partnership.  I’ve been fighting to keep people safe for nearly 25 years, and I’m proud of what we’ve been able to achieve- tackling cyber crimes, prosecuting those who harm our kids and seniors, and helping to better train first responders and law enforcement personnel.”

The Massachusetts Police Association (MPA) is a law enforcement organization representing nearly 22,000 members across the Commonwealth, with a 110-year history.  The Massachusetts Coalition of Police (Mass. C.O.P.) is the largest law enforcement union in Massachusetts, representing 3,600 law enforcement officers in over 130 cities and towns.

 “From her days as District Attorney to her leadership now as our Attorney General, we couldn’t ask for a stronger advocate for public safety,” said James Machado, of the Massachusetts Police Association. “There’s no doubt in the minds of our police officers that Martha Coakley has done a fantastic job working with them to help keep people across Massachusetts safe.”

 “Martha Coakley has been fighting to keep people safe as a prosecutor for almost 25 years, and it’s been a pleasure to work with her,” said Hugh Cameron, President of the Massachusetts Coalition of Police. “It is so important that we have someone with her commitment to the safety of our citizens working with our police officers every day.”

As a federal prosecutor, an Assistant District Attorney, Middlesex District Attorney, and now as Attorney General, Coakley has an unmatched record in this race of protecting our kids and communities. As a prosecutor for the Middlesex DA’s Office, Martha has personally and successfully prosecuted dozens of violent criminals in Massachusetts. As Chief of the Middlesex DA’s child abuse unit, Martha oversaw the prosecution of hundreds of predators who harmed children.

As Attorney General, Martha has been a national leader in working to protect people online.  As part of her Cyber Crime Initiative, Coakley revolutionized the tools available to prosecutors for fighting crime in the 21st century, ensuring that Massachusetts is on the forefront of public safety challenges. Her office trains local and state law enforcement officers in how to handle cyber crimes, with specialized trainings on topics such as digital evidence, cyber-bullying, and others. She also opened a state of the art computer forensics laboratory that assists with criminal cases from across the Commonwealth.

In 2008, Coakley led a two-year effort with MySpace and Attorneys General across the country to develop a plan to make social networking sites safer for children. She also successfully took on Craigslist by calling on the site to take down its adult services section to better protect victims of human trafficking.