Three Democrats trade barbs, aiming to unseat Hodgson as Bristol County sheriff

NEW BEDFORD — Three Democrats are vying for the opportunity to unseat Republican Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson — who has held the post since 1997 — in the Nov. 8 general election.

Facing off in the Sept. 6 primary are Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux, 45; former Somerset Police Chief George McNeil, 58; and Fall River-based attorney Nick Bernier, 37.

While the three candidates agreed not to go negative against each other during the primary campaign while at a WBSM debate on Aug. 17, Bernier and McNeil say a Heroux mailer sent to Bristol County residents Aug. 18 broke that agreement.

They issued a joint statement Aug. 18: "On Wednesday night something unusual happened. Three Democrats running for the same position seemed united with a common goal which was to have one of them replace 25-year incumbent Tom Hodgson as Sheriff of Bristol County. All three Democrats stated they did not plan to go negative, unfortunately Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux broke his promise with a negative mailer received by many Bristol County voters the very next day. He knew that mailer was going out and lied anyway."

The statement also accused Heroux, then a state representative, of lying in 2016 for not telling Attleboro voters he was running for mayor; and in 2021 when he didn't tell Attleboro voters he was running for another office and wouldn't complete his term if elected.

Heroux responded that the mailer was not negative. "It's not going negative. It's a contrast piece. There's a difference. Calling someone a liar is going negative," adding that the joint statement accused him of lying five times.

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Heroux defends election mailer

The Heroux mailer pictures a grid under the heading "experience," with categories where the candidates are compared. It says that Heroux is the only candidate with experience in corrections, has won eight campaigns where Bernier has run for office twice and lost, and McNeil has never campaigned; says Heroux is the only elected official; says Heroux has managed 500 employees versus 25 for McNeil, and lists a question mark for Bernier; says Heroux has managed a $165 million budget versus a $25 million budget for McNeil, and lists a question mark for Bernier; says Heroux has received 686 donations versus 173 for Bernier and 60 for McNeil; and says that McNeil is the only one of the three who once voted in a Republican primary.

"All of the things that I put on that mailer, we discussed Wednesday night" at the debate, Heroux said, except for McNeil's Republican primary vote, "and they didn't have a problem with it. They had a problem with it when it appeared in people's mailboxes."

Heroux said McNeil subsequently corrected him, and that McNeil had actually managed up to 60 employees and a budget of up to $4 million as police chief. But Heroux said that was splitting hairs and didn't detract from his point.

Heroux has said on the record he would not finish out his third term as Attleboro mayor if elected sheriff.

Heroux said he never lied to Attleboro voters regarding his candidacies. "By the way, politicians leaving one office to run for another is common on both sides of the aisle," Heroux added. "Everybody does it. It's as old as politics. That's what happens. It's a non-issue."

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Bernier claims to be a moderate

Bernier said, "We all agreed not to go negative. Under that understanding, I thought it would help. So I thought it was a good primary. Unfortunately, Paul Heroux went negative, with a negative mailer."

He added, "I do think I'm a little more moderate than Heroux. He's backed by some very left groups. I've been backed by a lot of moderates.  I don't think he should politicize his position. I do think Sheriff Hodgson is really far to the right, and Paul Heroux is really far to the left."

McNeil said of Heroux, "My question is, you're claiming you're knocking on 9,000 doors or more, or 300-something a day — who's watching the city? You have 500-plus employees and you have a $165 million budget, then who's there during the week that's supposed to be the mayor of the city? I had that in mind in the past, but I never brought it up. But now he's bringing this up."

McNeil: Focus on recidivism

McNeil added that by attacking each other, they were giving ammunition to Hodgson. Voters should "realize that the current sheriff has done just an awful job with the way he treats people that are incarcerated there, as well as the people who work there that are correction officers, and pays them poorly."

"More than that, he doesn't do enough for addiction counseling or mental health counseling. He doesn't do enough vocational training. He can't even get housing to people when they leave there. Sometimes they're left off in parking lots," McNeil said. "Those things need to change in order to reduce the amount of recidivism that happens in the county. The recidivism rate is around 40%, which is high."

Heroux: Time for a change

Heroux, who grew up in Attleboro, was first elected mayor in 2017. He served as a state representative from 2012 to 2016 before running for mayor in 2017.

From 2006 to 2008, Heroux worked in the Philadelphia prison system as assistant to Commissioner Leon A King. From 2008 to 2009, he worked for the Massachusetts Department of Correction as director of research and planning as a gubernatorial appointee under the Deval Patrick administration.

Heroux has a bachelor's degree in psychology and neuroscience from the University of Southern California, a master's degree in criminology from the University of Pennsylvania, a master's degree in international relations from the London School of Economics, and a master's of public administration from the Harvard School of Government.

Heroux has stated that he's running for sheriff because it's time for a change. He's said he supports term limits for elected officials, and that Hodgson has held the office for 25 years. Hodgson's time in office would grow to 31 years with re-election. "That's not what our founders intended."

"Care, custody, control, and rehabilitation" are a sheriff's job, according to Heroux's statements on his campaign website.

"That is what I am going to focus on, so the taxpayers' dollars are being spent prudently and wisely," he said.

He said he will measure whether current programs are reducing reoffending. He will use the information to do more of what's been effective and reform what doesn't work. "The incumbent sheriff has never done this in 25 years in office."

Heroux added, "There is a revolving door where many offenders leave jail only to end up back in again. That cycle leaves us with more crime victims and more individuals who never get on track. I will put safety first; a big part of that is discharge planning from the time someone is admitted to jail, focusing on rehabilitation, and returning citizens to society as non-offenders."

He wants to use his experience in corrections and public service to reform the county jail and make it better, he said.

In addition to his experience in corrections, he said, his work in the public sector has provided him with experience managing large budgets. He also has experience winning elections, he said, which makes him the best choice to defeat Hodgson.

His goals if elected include focusing on reducing reoffending through rehabilitation, and prioritizing correctional officer advanced training in working with mental illness, de-escalation tactics, and implicit bias awareness.

​Heroux has also said he will boost the "three pillars" of prisoner re-entry through post-release discharge planning on:

• housing to reduce homelessness upon release;

• employment through education and skills training;

• health care including drug addiction treatment and mental health treatment.

McNeil's law enforcement experience

McNeil, who lives in Somerset, is a 37-year law enforcement veteran, who was Somerset police chief from 2014 to 2021. He resigned from the post in April 2021 after selectmen informed him they were not going to renew his contract, which was due to expire in August 2021. His supporters said the board's move was politically motivated.

McNeil began his career in Randolph in 1987, and he attended the South Suburban Police Institute in Foxboro, where he graduated first in his class.

In announcing his candidacy, McNeil said, “I have the experience and background to manage people, run a budget and I know how to staff and I know how to motivate people of the same culture. I think that makes me stand out more than the other candidates.”

He added on his campaign website, "The Bristol County correction system is broken and is in desperate need of change and new ideas. Recidivism rates continue to be at record highs."

McNeil served as a patrolman, sergeant and went on to be promoted to lieutenant in Randolph. He was eventually appointed as the accreditation manager in 2011 and led the Randolph Police Department to its initial certification in 2014.

McNeil has a bachelor's degree in animal science from the University of Rhode Island and holds a master's degree in criminal justice from Anna Maria College in Paxton.

He was an adjunct professor at Bridgewater State University for 11 years. During his tenure at BSU, he taught a variety of courses, including policing, community and society and corrections.

He remains active in the police community, according to his resume, and participates in Massachusetts police department assessments for the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.

As Somerset chief, McNeil established a K-9 unit in 2014 at no cost to taxpayers, published a weekly newsletter to promote transparency, oversaw the re-accreditation of the Somerset Police Department twice, and established an outreach program for residents and family members within the community facing issues relating to addiction.

He also served as president of the Bristol County Chiefs of Police Association for three years.

McNeil claims the sheriff's department is top-heavy while officers continue to leave due to poor working conditions and low pay. "Hiring and retention of officers is a serious problem. The facilities are in poor condition and are in need of repair, and soon."

He said he will work to reduce the recidivism rate through rehabilitation, education, housing and vocational training for detainees leaving the facilities. Many of the people who leave the jails cannot read or write and are given no chance of improving their lives, he said.

He added that addiction treatment is imperative, as is attention to mental wellness issues. The county will be a safer place if reoffending is reduced, he said.

McNeil also said the mental wellness of the staff who work with the detainees is a concern and must be addressed, and forced overtime each week is unsafe and leads to low morale.

He said he will make improving the jail's poor infrastructure a priority.

Bernier was an assistant district attorney

Bernier served as an assistant district attorney under former Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter, focusing on juvenile offenders and white-collar crime. He has also worked as a tax attorney and opened the law firm Rampart Law Group in Fall River.

Bernier lives in Fall River and was raised in Swansea, where he set a state record for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout by the time he was 13.

In announcing his candidacy, Bernier said it was time for change after more than two decades of Hodgson at the helm.

"I think I can make a change. I strongly disagree with the sheriff's policies. I think politics has played too much of a role, when it really should be about the care and custody of the prisoners and making sure that when people go there, they get out, and they get out safely and hopefully they get a chance to rehabilitate."

Bernier added, "No one benefits from the rates of recidivism we have in this county."

While pursuing his undergraduate degree at Boston College, Bernier joined the Swansea Charter Commission and later the Swansea Advisory Finance Board.

Bernier also served as a board member until he departed to pursue his legal studies at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

He stated on his campaign website, "We need to focus on corrections to ensure that the real criminals stay locked up while giving those that can be reformed a chance."

Bernier added, "We are safer when inmates return to our society sober, mentally stable, housed, and employed."

Before becoming a Bristol County prosecutor, Bernier ran for governor's councilor, losing by just 37 votes. He has also served as a campaign manager for two successful political campaigns — state Sen. Michael Rodrigues' bid for state Senate and Joseph Ferreira's campaign for governor's councilor.

Bernier's action plan, outlined on his campaign website, includes reforming the department's $35 million payroll by eliminating patronage positions to hire and retain front-line correction officers currently being forced into overtime.

New staff members will be able to properly treat inmate mental health and addiction issues. "We are all safer when former inmates return to society sober and mentally well."

New screening procedures will also be introduced to prevent drugs from being smuggled in.

Bernier also advocates closing the "antiquated" Ash Street Jail in New Bedford after converting the former ICE Detention Center in Dartmouth into a regional lockup. The move would save money, he said, by preventing future lawsuits and wasteful spending.

He also wants to see education and job training programs revamped to help inmates earn a living when they're released.

And he wants "actual" re-entry programs to be offered to inmates being released to help them find work and housing.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Three Democrats vie for chance to unseat Sheriff Hodgson