Steven W. Tompkins

Steven W. Tompkins is an American law enforcement official who has served as the Sheriff of Suffolk County, MA since 2013.

Steven W. Tompkins
Sheriff of Suffolk County
Assumed office
January 22, 2013
Appointed byDeval Patrick
Preceded byAndrea Cabral
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materBoston College, University of Massachusetts
OccupationSheriff of Suffolk County, Massachusetts
WebsiteOfficial website

Background

Tompkins received a bachelor's degree in communications from Boston College and a master's degree in public affairs from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.[1] Prior to entering law enforcement, Tompkins was the director of marketing and public affairs at Dimock Community Health Center. Tompkins started working at the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department in 2002 as a chief of external affairs and communications for Sheriff Andrea Cabral.[2] During this time he also served as a political advisor for Senator Elizabeth Warren.[3] He worked on Warren's 2012 Senate campaign.[4]

Suffolk County Sheriff

Tompkins was appointed to the role of Sheriff in 2013 by Governor Deval Patrick to replace Andrea Cabral and was subsequently elected to the position in 2014. He was reelected to the position in 2016. During his tenure Tompkins has been active in state Democractic politics including an unsuccessful run for chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.[5] He also received attention as one of several prominent Black officials, along with District Attorney Rachael Rollins and Police Commissioner William G. Gross, in major criminal legal system roles in Boston when their terms overlapped starting in 2019.[6] In 2019 Governor Charlie Baker appointed Tompkins to chair the Roxbury Community College board of trustees.[7]

During the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primary, Tompkins endorsed the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.[8] During the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Tompkins endorsed Elizabeth Warren's candidacy. He spoke at Warren's formal campaign launch.[9]

ICE Contract

In 2018 Tompkins oversaw the ending of a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which had been active since 2003. At the time the contract ended 182 ICE detainees were incarcerated in Suffolk County facilities and Tompkins began incarcerating women in pretrial detention from Plymouth, Essex, and Norfolk counties in the newly available space in South Bay House of Correction.[10]

Deaths in Suffolk County Jails

Tompkins and the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department has faced pressure from advocates following deaths in Suffolk County jails. In 2021 in particular four deaths in quick succession between July and September of people incarcerated at South Bay House of Correction and Nashua Street Jail sparked protests and calls for transparency and accountability for the circumstances of the deaths.[11][12] Following these events another person, Charail Premdas, died while incarcerated for a total of five deaths in Suffolk County jails during 2021.[13] In July 2022, the death of Ashley Emma, another person incarcerated at South Bay House of Correction, sparked further protest.[14]

Controversies

In 2015, Tompkins paid a $2,500 fine after admitting to using his badge to improperly coerce eight store owners into taking down signs for his political opponents.[15]

In 2021, Tompkins proposed forced treatment of substance use disorders in Suffolk county facilities for unhoused people in Boston, especially those living in the Mass and Cass neighborhood.[16] He faced criticism for this suggestion by advocates who believed forced treatment in the environment of the criminal legal system was inappropriate.[17][18][19] In October 2021 Acting Mayor Kim Janey implemented many elements of this plan through an executive order with actual evictions starting in early November.[20] The evictions garnered further controversy with unhoused people being arrested in line for medication and being sent to jail instead of treatment. The ACLU of Massachusetts also filed a class action lawsuit to stop arrests of unhoused people in the area.[21][22]

In 2023, Tompkins was fined $12,300 fine for breaking state ethics law by creating a paid position for his niece and making his staff do his personal errands.[23][24] Though he paid the fine, Tompkins stated his niece was qualified for the role in the External Affairs Office as she was a marketing professional and that the employees assisting with childcare were doing him a favor.[25]

Personal life

Tompkins' wife, Suzanne Tompkins, passed away in 2016 from complications of systemic lupus.[5]

Electoral history
2014 Suffolk County Sheriff Democratic primary[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steven W. Tompkins (incumbent) 31,125 60.53
Democratic Douglas Bennett 11,741 22.83
Democratic Jeremiah F. Goodwin, Sr. 8,339 16.22
Write-in Other 217 0.42
Total votes 51,422 100
2014 Suffolk County Sheriff election[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steven W. Tompkins (incumbent) 123,242 82.11
Independent Hassan A. Smith 26,042 17.35
Write-in Other 804 0.54
Total votes 150,088 100
2016 Suffolk County Sheriff Democratic primary[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steven W. Tompkins (incumbent) 24,875 76.51
Democratic Alexander Rhalimi 7,467 22.97
Write-in Other 172 0.53
Total votes 32,514 100
2016 Suffolk County Sheriff election[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steven W. Tompkins (incumbent) 231,807 98.37
Write-in Other 3,836 0.16
Total votes 235,643 100
2022 Suffolk County Sheriff Democratic primary [30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steven W. Tompkins (incumbent) 43,305 59.2
Democratic Sandy Zamor-Calixte 29,670 40.5
Write-in Other 287 0.3
Total votes 73,282 100
2022 Suffolk County Sheriff election[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steven W. Tompkins (incumbent) 154,205 97.6
Write-in Other 3,753 2.4
Total votes 157,958 100

See also

References
  1. "In the news: Steven W. Tompkins". The Bay State Banner. The Bay State Banner. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  2. "Steven Tompkins". Bay State Banner. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  3. Levenson, Michael (23 January 2013). "Aide named to replace Cabral as sheriff". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  4. "Steve Tompkins endorses Michelle Wu for Boston mayor". Boston Herald. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  5. O'Sullivan, Jim (17 October 2016). "Steve Tompkins returns to race for state Democratic Party chairman". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  6. Walker, Adrian (11 September 2018). "The color of justice in Suffolk County may soon be black". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  7. "Sheriff of Suffolk County Steven W. Tompkins Appointed Chair of RCC Board of Trustees". www.rcc.mass.edu. Roxbury Community College. 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  8. Miller, Yawu (24 February 2016). "Presidential campaigns battle for votes in Mass". The Bay State Banner. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  9. Tennant, Paul (February 9, 2019). "Off and running: Warren launches presidential bid in Lawrence". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  10. Dooling, Shannon (29 September 2021). "Suffolk Sheriff Ends Contract With ICE To Make Room For More Female Inmates". WBUR. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  11. Murphy, Shelley (17 August 2021). "Three people died at a Boston jail. Their families are desperate for answers". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  12. Becker, Deborah (17 September 2021). "Prisoner Dies At Nashua Street Jail In Boston". WBUR. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  13. Becker, Deborah (14 December 2021). "Suffolk County Sheriff reports 5th prisoner death this year". WBUR. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  14. Garrido, Shannon. "Protest Held Outside of South Bay Jail in Response to Death of Female Inmate". Live Boston. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  15. Scharfenberg, David (23 September 2015). "Suffolk sheriff fined for asking shops to remove opponent's signs". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  16. Leung, Shirley (25 September 2021). "Suffolk Sheriff Tompkins proposes to convert empty detention center into temporary housing for people living in tents by Mass. and Cass". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  17. Becker, Deborah (26 September 2021). "Sheriff Proposes Committing People Living At Mass And Cass To A Re-Purposed Detention Center". WBUR. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  18. MacDonald, Danny (27 September 2021). "Some advocates and experts push back against sheriff's Mass. and Cass proposal". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  19. Rose, Carol (29 September 2021). "We can't arrest our way out of Mass. and Cass". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  20. Bedford, Tori (1 November 2021). "'I Have No Place To Go': City Evicts And Arrests At Mass And Cass, Clears Tents". GBH. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  21. Bedford, Tori (5 November 2021). "ACLU Sues City To Stop 'Fundamentally Unlawful' Tent-Clearing And Arrests At Mass. and Cass". GBH. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  22. Bedford, Tori (2 November 2021). "Man Arrested At Mass And Cass Denied Treatment, Sent To Worcester Jail With Ongoing COVID-19 Outbreak". GBH. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  23. "Suffolk Sheriff Steve Tompkins fined for giving niece job, having employees run errands". Boston Herald. 2023-03-06. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  24. "Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins pays fine for creating state job for niece, having employees run his errands". CBS. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  25. Becker, Deb (6 March 2023). "Suffolk sheriff pays ethics fine, but says people were just trying to help". WBUR. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  26. "2014 Sheriff Democratic Primary Suffolk County". PD43+. Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  27. "2014 Sheriff General Election Suffolk County". PD43+. Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  28. "2016 Sheriff Democratic Primary Suffolk County". PD43+. Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  29. "2016 Sheriff General Election Suffolk County". PD43+. Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  30. "2022 Sheriff Democratic Primary". Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  31. "2022 Sheriff General Election". Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
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