Mastroianni formed the unit in January to create partnerships with community organizations and hear concerns about public safety from county residents
Antonio O.F. Simmons director of the community safety and outreach unit for the Hampden District Attorney, sits at his desk during a recent interviewSPRINGFIELD – Antonio O.F. “Tony” Simmons wants information.
He also wants residents of Hampden County to know he’s prepared to share their concerns about safety and law enforcement with the new man in charge.
Simmons is director of the community safety and outreach unit for Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni.
The unit was established by Mastroianni when he took office in January; its goal is to create partnerships with community organizations and agencies and to hear what people living across the county are most concerned about in the areas of law enforcement and criminal justice.
Simmons, who had worked since 2006 as community safety coordinator for former District Attorney William M. Bennett, earns an annual salary of $49,000. Other members of the unit are deputy director Brian P. Sullivan and community safety and outreach advocate Sonia Pagan.
“This DA really meant it when he said that we need to reach out in the community like we haven’t done before,” Simmons said. “It wasn’t just a sound bite, but he really meant it and that’s what we do.”
Mastroianni and Simmons’ team is in the midst of “what we call a listening tour. We have to find out what the needs are.”
There have already been meetings targeted at Holyoke and Springfield’s Mason Square neighborhood. The next, which is yet to be scheduled, will be with people from Springfield’s North End neighborhood, and the plan is to then move out to Chicopee and other cities and towns across the county, Simmons said.
Residents’ and community leaders’ input will be assessed, “and we’ll find the best point of attack,” Simmons said. The feedback received thus far has indicated great concern about “juveniles, juveniles, juveniles,” he said.
Antonio O.F. Simmons“It seems that’s what our office is going to focus on. Or, at least a large part of our focus,” Simmons said.
Simmons, 45, is a 1987 graduate of American International College, where he majored in sociology and criminal justice. Born in Bermuda, he lived there until he went to high school in California.
Simmons’ background includes work for the Center for Human Development, service as a Juvenile Court probation officer in Springfield and duties as a victim-witness advocate for Bennett.
Of Juvenile Court, he said, “I still to this day know that that is the most important court, period. That and Probate Court, and it’s because they see the kids right at the beginning.”
“We have an excellent Juvenile Court diversion program,” said Simmons of a program which takes youth accused of crimes and gets them involved in programs rather than pursue a court case.
“It’s unfortunate that people don’t know how many young people are saved by our office, how many cases we get diverted, how many kids we prevent from getting criminal records,” he said.
In 2004, Simmons returned to Bermuda for a year to work as a probation officer in a drug court, receiving very specific training in many aspects of cases.
His work as a teacher’s assistant with 13- to 15-year-old youth at a Center for Human Development secure facility was very valuable to him, Simmons said. “That was great. You get a sense of really what’s going on when you deal with kids, especially in a locked environment,” he said.
The district attorney’s office and his unit are working to form partnerships with community agencies, schools, police and Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe’s office, Simmons said.
A partnership with Westfield State University to address the bullying prevention has already been established, he said.
Such links between law enforcement, residents and community groups are crucial, Simmons said.
“It’s going to start with the community. They got to insist they want to take back their streets,” he said. “They’ve got to insist they’re not going to let the small percentage of gang members control them and keep them prisoners in their homes.”
Simmons said he remains optimistic his office can help bring about change within the communities it serves. “In my position here I am not (discouraged) because I am a part of an organization that can actually invoke change,” he said. “The DA’s office is a powerful office, and it’s not about just locking people up. It’s about doing what’s right and helping out where we can.”
Pagan, another member of the office, has an annual salary of $46,917 and has worked in the district attorney’s office for over 17 years as the administrative assistant in the family protection unit.
Pagan was responsible for the coordination and data collection of the Hampden County child fatality review team, reporting secretary for the district attorney’s task force on domestic violence and the domestic violence high-risk assessment team.
Sullivan, whose salary is $55,000, is a Westfield city councilor who served as manager of Mastroianni’s election campaign. He had owned a business in Westfield for some 10 years before assuming this position.
One of Sullivan’s responsibilities will be to research new grant opportunities and manage existing grants. He also works with local groups, law enforcement units and elected officials.