Paul Heroux | |
---|---|
Sheriff of Bristol County | |
Assumed office January 4, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Thomas M. Hodgson |
Mayor of Attleboro | |
In office January 2,2018 –January 3,2023 | |
Preceded by | Kevin Dumas |
Succeeded by | Cathleen DeSimone [1] |
Member of the MassachusettsHouseofRepresentatives from the 2nd Bristol district | |
In office January 5,2013 –January 1,2018 | |
Preceded by | George T. Ross |
Succeeded by | Jim Hawkins |
Personal details | |
Born | 1976 (age 47–48) Taunton,Massachusetts,U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Education | University of Southern California (BA) University of Pennsylvania (MS) London School of Economics (MSc) Harvard University (MPA) |
Website | Official website |
Paul Heroux (born 1976) is an American politician who is the Sheriff of Bristol County,Massachusetts. He previously served as Mayor of Attleboro,Massachusetts,and a State Representative from the Second Bristol District,elected in 2012.
Heroux served as a state representative from 2013-2017.
Paul Heroux was first elected in November 2012 as the State Representative from the Second Bristol District,Massachusetts.
Heroux's work as a state representative included creating a $38 million school internet infrastructure grant program that offered money to school districts all over Massachusetts, [7] [8] was a cosponsor of the transgender public accommodation bill, [9] which is now law as the Massachusetts Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Initiative, [10] was a cosponsor of the ban on gay conversion therapy, [11] which is now law, [12] adding money to several state budgets for homeless children's programs, [13] and fought to try to get the state to measure prison program outcomes on reducing recidivism. [14]
Paul Heroux served as mayor of Attleboro,MA for five years from January 2,2018 until January 3,2023.
As mayor,Heroux pushed the redevelopment of the city center, [20] prioritized business support, [21] prioritized education spending by repairing roofs that leaked for 20 years, [22] boosted education funding and created a special education stabilization fund, [23] [24] maintained the city's AA bond rating despite hard financial times inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic. [25] Heroux created a rent and mortgage assistance program for Attleboro residents who fell behind on rent and mortgage payments to help avoid evictions and foreclosures. [26] [27] [28] Heroux has made efforts to recruit women and people of color fill vacancies on city boards and commissions. [29] Heroux promoted advanced training in unconscious bias,duty to intervene to prevent excessive force,and de-escalation training for city police officers, [30] [31] and made sure that every firefighter has two sets of protective fire gear for the first time in city department history by funding in the budget every year. [32] Heroux made news across the country when he implemented a strict zero tolerance policy for people who leave dogs in hot cars, [33] [34]
The Sun Chronicle said "Paul Heroux will surely go down as the most environmentally-conscience mayor in Attleboro’s history." [35] During Heroux's tenure as mayor,he has taken many decidedly pro-environmental positions. These include purchasing the bankrupt privately owned Highland Country Club and turning it into the city owned Highland Park [36] and putting a monarch butterfly population in the new park, [37] making all city government buildings 100% wind powered, [38] ordered city workers to use recycled paper products whenever practicable and cost effective, [39] formed a special committee to update the city's Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan and Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Report to prepare for the possibility of greater impact from climate change, [40] [41] changing all of the city street lights and city building lights to LED lights, [42] moving the city fleet of vehicles to hybrids where possible, [42] putting solar panels above city owned parking lots, [42] making Attleboro a Green Community, [43] banning single use plastic bags, [44] banning plastic and Styrofoam take away cups and containers from restaurants and convenience stores, [45] banning body and face washes that have plastic exfoliating beads, [46] banning the intentional releasing of balloons into the air, [47] banning the distribution of plastic straws,the sale of fluorescent light bulbs containing mercury and bee killing insecticides containing neonicotinoids. [48] Heroux also submitted ordinance proposals that would triple the Wetland Protection Zone, [49] [50] [51] and ban single use plastic water bottles,and plastic miniature alcohol bottles. [52] Heroux is also seen around the city picking up litter with his dog or with groups of volunteers. [53]
In 2017,on the day of the preliminary election,Heroux was featured by several media outlets for being bitten by a dog the day before while campaigning for mayor,his sixth dog bite in 5 years. [54] [55]
On 10 January 2022,Heroux announced he is running for Sheriff of Bristol County,Massachusetts against incumbent Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson. [56] [57]
Heroux took office on 4 January 2023. [60] Heroux started new recruitment and retention incentives, [61] hired an expert to review inmate suicides, [62] released the suicide report unredacted and redesigned the bunk beds to make them more suicide resistant, [63] and offered a plan to close the Ash Street jail,which is the oldest jail in operation in the country. [64] Heroux extended the training academy for new corrections officers from eight weeks to nine weeks to add classes focused on de-escalation,dealing with mental illness,duty to intervene,and implicit bias. [65] Heroux reduced the burden of a high commission on optional inmate commissary goods from 31.75% to 20%,a 12% reduction in what inmates pay,and started providing shower sandals to all inmates;Heroux called it "unconscionable" that inmates were forced to buy shower sandals from the commissary or go without. [66]
Heroux was raised in Attleboro to small business drug store owners. [67] [68] He was awarded the 'Most Genuine' class superlative from his 1995 high school class for a complete abstinence to alcohol and drugs. [69] Heroux holds two Ivy League master's degrees;one from Harvard University,a master's in Public Administration,and the other from the University of Pennsylvania,a master of science in Criminology,respectively,a master of science in International Relations from the London School of Economics,and a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Neuroscience from the University of Southern California. [69] In 2017,Heroux published a book on US foreign policy in the Middle East, [70] [71] has lived in Saudi Arabia, [72] and has been to North Korea, [73] Israel and Palestine including the West Bank. [74]
Prior to elected office,Heroux worked in the Philadelphia jail system,as the director of research in the Massachusetts prison system,for the national security think-tank Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies,as an English teacher in Saudi Arabia,and with kids for seven years at a YMCA. [75] Heroux,after earning instructor level ranks,also taught Jeet Kune Do,Filipino Kali,and Jiu Jitsu at a studio he opened at 19 years old. [69]
From October to November 2018,Heroux took a 12-day,8,500-mile (13,700 km) road trip across 24 states and Canada with his dog Mura,posting pictures on his Facebook page. The trip went viral after being picked up by news outlets across the United States and in dozens of countries. [76] [77]
Bristol County is a county in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census,the population was 579,200. The shire town is Taunton. Some governmental functions are performed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,others by the county,and others by local towns and cities. The county is the sixth most populous county in Massachusetts.
Attleboro is a city in Bristol County,Massachusetts,United States. It was once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers. According to the 2020 census,Attleboro had a population of 46,461.
North Attleborough,alternatively spelled North Attleboro,is a city in Bristol County,Massachusetts,United States. The population was 30,834 at the 2020 United States Census.
South Attleboro is a village of Attleboro,a city in Bristol County,Massachusetts,United States. It was formerly known as SouthGate,and has its own telephone exchange separate from Attleboro. It is perhaps best known for the South Attleboro station on the Providence/Stoughton Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail. U.S. 1 and Route 1A pass through the area,which lies just north of the Rhode Island state line.
South Attleboro station is an MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line station in Attleboro,Massachusetts. It is located under Newport Avenue in the South Attleboro neighborhood,just north of the Rhode Island border. The station has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Northeast Corridor,formerly connected by a footbridge to a park-and-ride lot;only the north platform is in use.
The Sun Chronicle is a daily newspaper in Attleboro,Massachusetts,United States. Most of its readers are in Attleboro and North Attleborough,Massachusetts,but it also covers nearby Foxborough,Mansfield,Norfolk,Norton,Plainville,Rehoboth,Seekonk,and Wrentham,Massachusetts,as well as North Eastern Rhode Island. Its headquarters is located at 34 South Main St. in Attleboro.
Massachusetts's 10th congressional district is an obsolete district that was active during 1795–2013. It was first located in the District of Maine during 1795–1803,then located in several different areas of Massachusetts. It was most recently eliminated in 2013 as district lines were redrawn to accommodate the loss of the seat due to reapportionment as a result of the 2010 census.
The Hockomock League is an interscholastic high school athletic league located in Southeastern Massachusetts,founded in 1932. The league took its name from a historic,freshwater swamp which served as a fortress for the Wampanoag native tribe during the King Philip’s War. The Wampanoags revered the area,naming it,“Hockomock,”an Algonquin word meaning,“Place where spirits dwell.”Today,the Hockomock Swamp is a protected environmental area and many local businesses,agencies and organizations use the Hockomock moniker to refer to their association with this region.
King Philip Regional High School (KPRHS) is a regional high school in Wrentham,Massachusetts,United States. It is a part of the King Philip Regional School District,drawing students from three towns:Wrentham,Norfolk,and Plainville.
Edithia Lois Wilde was an American actress,model,dancer,and beauty contest winner. She was most famous for appearing in B-Western and Action movies,and also known for her appearance in Undersea Kingdom (1936).
Chartley is a village in Norton,Massachusetts. It has its own post office,near the Attleboro line along Route 123,with zip code 02712.
Norton is a town in Bristol County,Massachusetts,United States,and contains the villages of Norton Center and Chartley. The population was 19,202 at the 2020 census. Home of Wheaton College,Norton hosted the Dell Technologies Championship,a tournament of the PGA Tour held annually on the Labor Day holiday weekend at the TPC Boston golf club until 2018.
Elizabeth Poirier is an American politician who represented the 14th Bristol district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives until 2021,and was the current Third Assistant House Minority Leader. She succeeded her husband Kevin Poirier,who resigned to become director of development at Sturdy Memorial Hospital. She announced in March 2020 that she would not seek another term in that year's election.
Attleboro High School is a public high school located in Attleboro,Massachusetts. The school is located at 1 Blue Pride Way. The school has an approximate student enrollment of 1,750 students in grades 9–12. The school's mascot is the Bombardiers known formally as and the school colors are Royal Blue,Silver,and White. In August of 2022,the district completed construction on a new $259.9 million,475,000-square-foot building to replace the former building previously located at 100 Rathbun Willard Drive. As of November 17th,2022,the "Blue Bombardiers" has been redesigned.
Meagan Elise Fuller is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Attleboro,Massachusetts,who was named Massachusetts' Junior Miss 2010 and crowned Miss Massachusetts 2015. She competed for the Miss America 2016 title in September 2015.
Thomas M. Hodgson is an American politician who served as Sheriff of Bristol County Massachusetts from 1997 to 2022.
James K. Hawkins is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party,Hawkins serves in the Massachusetts House of Representatives,representing the 2nd Bristol District since 2018,which includes all but one precinct of Attleboro.
The 2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 8,2022,to elect the governor of Massachusetts. Republican former state representative Geoff Diehl,Democratic state Attorney General Maura Healey,and Libertarian Kevin Reed sought to succeed incumbent Governor Charlie Baker,who did not seek re-election after two terms. The race was one of six Republican-held governorships up for election in 2022 in a state carried by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and the only race in which the incumbent was retiring despite being eligible for re-election.
The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts were held on November 3,2020,to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the state of Massachusetts,one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election,as well as other elections to the House of Representatives,elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. Primary elections were held on September 1.
Massachusetts House of Representatives' 2nd Bristol district in the United States is one of 160 legislative districts included in the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court. It covers part of Attleboro in Bristol County. Democrat Jim Hawkins of Attleboro has represented the district since 2018.
Heroux got 78 percent of the 1,428 votes cast in the contest, beating Kane 1,118 votes to 310.
Heroux piled up 58 percent of the vote to overwhelm the one-term, 63-year-old incumbent, who served seven terms on the City Council before his election to the House two years ago.
When Paul Heroux raised his right hand to take the oath of office as Attleboro's new state representative Wednesday...
State Rep. Paul Heroux cruised to a second term, crushing Republican challenger Bert Buckley with 61 percent of the vote in Tuesday's state election.
Massachusetts passed historic legislation protecting the civil rights of transgender people. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of the bill.
Mayor Kevin Dumas came in second for the first time in his political career at the hands of State Rep. Paul Heroux Tuesday as a field of three mayoral candidates was narrowed to two.
A reluctant candidate, state Rep. Paul Heroux was elected mayor Tuesday, defeating seven-term incumbent Kevin Dumas by a 54 to 46 percent margin.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)On an 8-2 vote last week the city council banned the intentional release of balloons by "any person or group" and created a $20 fine for violations.
A candidate for Attleboro mayor is running into trouble on the campaign trail. He's been attacked by dogs over and over while knocking on doors to win votes.
ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WPRI) — Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux is jumping into this year's race for Bristol County sheriff, giving longtime incumbent Thomas Hodgson a high-profile challenger. Heroux confirmed his decision Monday in an interview with 12 News, after saying last month he was considering a run for one of two higher offices in 2022. He noted that he has previously worked in corrections facilities in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and that he oversees the police force in Attleboro. "I would like to take the Bristol County jail system and turn that into a national model of evidence-producing corrections with a focus on reentry and reducing recidivism," Heroux said.
ATTLEBORO — Mayor Paul Heroux announced Monday afternoon that he intends to run for sheriff of Bristol County against four-term incumbent Thomas Hodgson.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Mayor Paul Heroux's 8,500-mile road trip with his terminally ill dog Mura has gotten national and international media attention, all the way from Providence to Hamburg, Germany.
Paul Heroux adoptierte seinen Hund Mura, als er erst wenige Wochen alt war. Inzwischen ist der Shikoku, eine japanische Hunderasse, zehn Jahre alt und der beste Freund des US-Amerikaners.