Shugrue ran against progressive Andrea Harrington in 2022’s Democratic primary as a tough on crime candidate in contrast to the reform platform that made Harrington the county’s the first female DA four years earlier. Despite local law enforcement reporting drops in crime over the past five years, Shugrue said it had grown unabated during Harrington’s tenure.
“I'm going to offer community support, doing programs, and at the same time, being tough on criminals, and also dealing correctly with people who may find themselves in a bad situation who have haven't had the resources or the availability to get services," he told WAMC. "I don't believe in just dismissing cases. If I'm going to have somebody who comes in that may have got themselves in trouble, there's diversion programs we can use within the system that gets people both mental health counseling, addiction counseling, all sorts of issues. Make people earn that dismissal.”
Shugrue will be sworn in in Berkshire Superior Court at 3 p.m.
