[SCS03]

Suffolk Sheriff Cabral keeps her job in impressive primary win
By Ann E. Donlan
Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral won the battle to keep her badge last night, beating back a hard-fought challenge by City Councilor Stephen J. Murphy after a nasty campaign to oust the county's first sheriff to be both female and black.
Facing her first electoral race since being appointed to the seat in 2002 by GOP acting Gov. Jane Swift, Cabral won a full six-year term, switching parties to run as a Democrat. She faces no Republican opposition in November.
``Thanks for sticking around because you didn't have to,'' Cabral told supporters at a victory party at Boston's Hampshire House last night. ``I love being your sheriff, and the next six years are going to be tremendous.'' :uc:
In an interview, Cabral said the race was ``rough and tumble'' not nasty, and credited her campaign with the ``revolutionary'' achievement of uniting diverse supporters, including women, minorities, gays and lesbians and conservatives.
``I think it was the turnout in the communities of color, and the inroads we made into my opponent's base,'' Cabral said of her victory. ``God love the women. The women turned out in huge numbers for this.''
With 96 percent of the precincts reporting, Cabral had 59 percent of the vote to Murphy's 41 percent.
In a brief concession statement, Murphy said, ``I look forward to working with Sheriff Cabral to ensure the public safety in Suffolk County. She should be commended for running a great race.''
A political novice, Cabral won high praise for pushing for reforms while serving out the final two years of the scandal-ridden term of former Sheriff Richard J. Rouse. She had won a series of high-profile endorsements, including one from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy [related, bio].
``It seemed like (Cabral) has a pretty good focus in what she needs to do to clean up the sheriff's office,'' said 20-year-old Elizabeth Owens.
Murphy's bid came after several other unsuccessful attempts at higher office, including a failed bid for state treasurer.
``I voted for Murphy,'' said Joan Bok, 74, of Boston. ``I don't like that (Cabral) was a Republican and then she became a Democrat. I think it's sort of sneaky.''
Voters in other polling places encountered problems with the city's new ballot machines, including malfunctioning scanning machines at the Nate Smith House in Jamaica Plain.

Boston Herald

:evil: :2up:

 

[MarkBoston]

I know with the budget crisis that Ms. Cabral will work very hard to keep the department in the black. Hopefully she'll find time to find a man to share her life with.

 

[reno911_2004]

I know with the budget crisis that Ms. Cabral will work very hard to keep the department in the black. Hopefully she'll find time to find a man to share her life with.

:inlove: :wub: :heart: :uc:

 

[SCS03]

Well looks like I won't be getting a raise....or dental....or eye glasses....or details....

I can't blame the voters though. They really didn't understand how difficult they would make our lives if they voted her in. Too late now, we're screwed.

 

[MarkBoston]

I had a talk with a few of the Suffolk County people after the election. Whenever I think BPD morale is low, I just think about how deep and far up sh*t creek these guys are.

I am usually pretty good at calling city elections. This vote came out of left field. What the voters don't understand is that the bars on the windows and the locks on the doors use to be to keep the inmates in. Now they are being used to keep the staff from escaping.

I truly feel sorry for these C.O.'s and deputies. Now Boston has the ying and yang of "feel good PC girl power" with O'Toole and Cabral. To me they look like the Lee sisters.

 

[JoninNH]

:L:

 

[Irishpride]

I truly feel sorry for these C.O.'s and deputies. Now Boston has the ying and yang of "feel good PC girl power" with O'Toole and Cabral. To me they look like the Lee sisters.

There has to be room there for DOC Commissioner Kathleen Dennehy somewhere :roll:

 

[soxrock75]

I think it is unfair to lump Commissioner O'Toole in with Cabral. O'Toole was once head of the old Met Police, was a Lt. Colonel on the MSP and served as the Law Enforcement Chair of the Northern Ireland Peace Process. She has many years of experience to her credit. From what I hear, there were some initial worries when O'Toole took charge but she has done a lot of work to smooth out those concerns, and this is coming from the "Old Guard" of the BPD. Cabral can't even make up her mind on which party she belongs too. She enrolled as a "Republican" when Swifty made it a requirement for her appointment and then switched to democrat when she realized she didn't stand a chance to get re-elected as a republican in Suffolk County. I have quite a few friends in the SCSD and feel sorry that they have to continue to work for someone who has no idea what it is they do everyday, nor appreciates it and treats them thusly.

 

[SCS03]

I disagree with one of your statements Soxrock. She knows exactly what she is doing. She is there to manage. Not to create a "safer" working environment. Not to punish those convicted or detained. Not even to work with us to boost moral. She is there to manage her employees by handing out stiff punishments for the most ridiculous things, period. If I could discuss half of the things people get suspended for your heads would spin. And we're not talking 1 or 2 day suspensions, we're talking 45 days unpaid. People with families, small children.
Moral is...well...to put it bluntly, dead (at least for the next 6 years or so).
Anyway...
How a candidate running for any office can break numerous campaign laws, lie to the public, deny their employees benefits, and still win an election is beyond me. But then again, welcome to Massachusetts.
Sorry if I'm rambling, I'm just really pissed off about the whole situation.

 

[MarkBoston]

"I think it is unfair to lump Commissioner O'Toole in with Cabral. O'Toole was once head of the old Met Police, was a Lt. Colonel on the MSP and served as the Law Enforcement Chair of the Northern Ireland Peace Process. She has many years of experience to her credit. From what I hear, there were some initial worries when O'Toole took charge but she has done a lot of work to smooth out those concerns, and this is coming from the "Old Guard" of the BPD."

Ready for your insider's history lesson?

O'Toole was a Boston Police Officer from 1979 to 1986. During this time she was and still is married to a superior officer, now retired. She was first assigned to "soft" districts. Then after a couple of years she went inside completely.

She hooked onto Bill Bratton's wagon train and followed him thru the MBTA and the MDC. When the MDC was absorbed by the MSP she became a Lt. Colonel of the MSP. Finding that she would never become the Colonel, she became the Secretary of Public Safety while still drawing a paycheck as a Lt. Colonel of the MSP.

After being given the door as Secretary of Public Safety she went over to Ireland as a member of some peace police commission. After that tent folded she could not find a cushy job, so she opened up her own consultant firm. Then after Tom Menino screwed Jimmy Hussey out of the job (hey, what's 25 years of friendship) Tommy wants another term. He sees that Ray Flynn can't get anything after being Mayor besides a 4 year gig saying "Yes, Pope". So Tommy puts a feel good PC commissioner in.

This is your hero…nothing but a zero. You have people leaving and retiring because of the low morale. She is already looking for her next job. Most of the professional "jumpers" do that. Bratton is the "King of Jumpers". They all want the ultimate prize, to sit in the chair of J. Edgar Hoover and be Director of the FBI.

Time will show you that I am right. These people are like fish, after a certain amount of time the smell gets so bad that even the one who brought home the fish will toss it out.

 

[JoninNH]

She is there to manage her employees by handing out stiff punishments for the most ridiculous things, period. If I could discuss half of the things people get suspended for your heads would spin. And we're not talking 1 or 2 day suspensions, we're talking 45 days unpaid.

I've heard rumors about multi-week long suspensions for some pretty petty shit, like use of profanity. This the kind of crap you're talking about?

 

[KozmoKramer]

I'm just curious; how well did the high Sheriff score on departmental PT test...?
:L::L::L::L::L::L::L::L::L::L::L::L::L::L::L::L::L:

 

[SCS03]

I've heard rumors about multi-week long suspensions for some pretty petty shit, like use of profanity. This the kind of crap you're talking about?

I haven't heard that one, although that use of profanity issue was discussed as being punishable by the admin. I was talking more along the lines of two officers on completely different sides of an assault seeing something slightly different. Of coarse you will not see the exact same thing when you are on the opposite side of an assault involving multiple individuals. In this case the officer that got suspended was 10+ feet away (and could not respond directly) when he/she witnessed that specific assault take place. That officer was suspended for 30 days for not seeing exactly what the other officer, again on the opposite side of a complete mess, saw. That officer had some "vested interest" within the department (hint hint). Head hunting? Needless to say that matter was squashed by the admin very quickly after the fact. Why not just admit you were wrong by handing out an uncalled for suspension?

I'm just curious; how well did the high Sheriff score on departmental PT test...?

Very well obviously, good ole' Teddy carried her the whole way.

 

[soxrock75]

Cabral can't even make up her mind on which party she belongs too. She enrolled as a "Republican" when Swifty made it a requirement for her appointment and then switched to democrat when she realized she didn't stand a chance to get re-elected as a republican in Suffolk County. I have quite a few friends in the SCSD and feel sorry that they have to continue to work for someone who has no idea what it is they do everyday, nor appreciates it and treats them thusly.

SCS03, I couldn't agree with you more. I have no confidence in Cabral either. I was not sticking up for her at all. I was merely objecting to the comparison between her and O'Toole. Like I said in my post, I have quite a few friends working at South Bay and Nashua Street and I hear the horror stories that you speak of and give you guys a lot of credit that you continue to do your jobs in such a professional manner, even with the current administration not backing you. Hopefully it is only a matter of time before Cabral does something that will get her investigated, reprimanded or fired.

MarkBoston - I am well aware of the insider's history lesson, as you basically reiterated her work history that I already had put in my original post. Although I clearly do not share the same distaste for Commissioner O'Toole as you do, I think it is a stretch to call her my hero. If all of these "jumpers", as you put it, are moving to bigger and better jobs, what does that mean? I look at it as they are moving to more high profile and demanding jobs because they have a track record of success in their careers. People who fail and do not perform well aren't going to be offered many jobs. If I am looking to fill a job, I want someone with the experience and knowledge that will make a difference. Does it help the O'Toole is a woman, absolutely. But she is a woman with a track record of success and is respected by many in the LE community. Time will tell what will happen to her and I wish her luck. She probably will go for another job in the future as Mickey Roache, Bill Bratton and Paul Evans did. The days of Police Commissioners / Chiefs in large metropolitan cities who serve 20+ years in that role are gone forever.

 

[SCS03]

SCS03, I couldn't agree with you more. I have no confidence in Cabral either. I was not sticking up for her at all. I was merely objecting to the comparison between her and O'Toole. Like I said in my post, I have quite a few friends working at South Bay and Nashua Street and I hear the horror stories that you speak of and give you guys a lot of credit that you continue to do your jobs in such a professional manner, even with the current administration not backing you. Hopefully it is only a matter of time before Cabral does something that will get her investigated, reprimanded or fired.

Sorry Soxrock I think you misunderstood. I meant it sarcastically. I had no question on wether or not you understood the situation. As you already said you know some of our guys, then you must know about the BS we're going through. Thanks for the support.

As far as her leaving? Lets hope she runs for DA or something. If not, 6 more years. I doubt she'll be investigated or fired. It's almost like she's above the law (we won't get into the specifics).

 

[soxrock75]

SCS03, It's almost like she's above the law (we won't get into the specifics).

SCS03, I can read between the lines on that one. Although I hear she does flout many of the laws out there if it benefits her. Just keep your head up and continue the great work you and others do everyday. She'll get hers in the long run!

 

[BSP268]

I disagree with one of your statements Soxrock. She knows exactly what she is doing. She is there to manage. Not to create a "safer" working environment. Not to punish those convicted or detained. Not even to work with us to boost moral. She is there to manage her employees by handing out stiff punishments for the most ridiculous things, period. If I could discuss half of the things people get suspended for your heads would spin. And we're not talking 1 or 2 day suspensions, we're talking 45 days unpaid. People with families, small children.
Moral is...well...to put it bluntly, dead (at least for the next 6 years or so).
Anyway...
How a candidate running for any office can break numerous campaign laws, lie to the public, deny their employees benefits, and still win an election is beyond me. But then again, welcome to Massachusetts.
Sorry if I'm rambling, I'm just really pissed off about the whole situation.

Keep your head up there guy. I' ll give you what some of my freinds didn't . Some well needed encouragemnet. First try to get into school to take advantage of the Quinn bill. Then, get out of there with your new degree. If you are true to yourself, you realize that the family around depend on what you bring home, so start your rebirth and be proud. 399

 

[gooday]

Hey she just endorsed Duval Patrick a lossing horse, If you suffolk c/o's are smart you would have your union endorse Gabrieli. In my opinoion he is a sure win and it would not hurt. This gives you a political and your union political power. You have a chance take it.

 

[Guest]

If you where smart you would hold of endorsing until after the primary

 

[Irish Wampanoag]

Hey she just endorsed Duval Patrick a lossing horse, If you suffolk c/o's are smart you would have your union endorse Gabrieli. In my opinoion he is a sure win and it would not hurt. This gives you a political and your union political power. You have a chance take it.

Have you check the poles lately????