ALFRED — York County District Attorney Kathryn Slattery said she’s seeking re-election to a third term as the county’s top prosecutor to continue the work she began when first elected in 2010.

“I will continue to focus on the most serious crimes,” she said. “I will continue to focus on elder abuse and financial exploitation, and domestic violence as well as OUI offenses. I recognize that in each instance public safety must be protected. I will continue to work with the Attorney General’s Office on drug prosecutions, using the multi-pronged approach of enforcement, punishment and treatment.”

A Democrat, she is challenged in the race by Independent Bernard Broder in the Nov. 6 election.

Slattery, 58, said most sorts of crime — with the exception of domestic violence assaults and other serious assaults — have decreased in the county since she was first elected.

Her tenure as a York County prosecutor began in 1987. A graduate of Boston College and the University of Maine School of Law, Slattery began her legal career as a law clerk and special assistant to Gov. Joseph Brennan. After serving briefly as an assistant attorney general, Slattery became an assistant district attorney in York County. In 1991, she was appointed deputy district attorney by then District Attorney Michael Cantara, a position she held until her 2010 election.

Slattery said she has created a felony unit to focus on the most serious crimes; added a fifth victim witness advocate; increased the domestic violence prosecutor unit from one to three attorneys; and secured a grant-funded position dedicated to the prosecution of impaired drivers, resulting in an increase in the conviction rate for those operating under the influence to 80 percent.

She said she has assigned an attorney to review all referrals from Adult Protective Services and work with the agency to develop protocols to better address elder abuse and financial exploitation.

Slattery said she has been fiscally responsible, presenting budgets that meet the budget cap, but has still been able to slowly increase support staff in the DA’s office to better serve the public and the courts.

She said she secured three additional attorney positions, thus decreasing the caseload of each attorney.

Slattery said she has worked with county commissioners, the courts and York County Shelter Programs Inc., to help create Layman Way Recovery Center, the only program in Maine that provides long term residential treatment to individuals who would otherwise be incarcerated.

The DA has served on the site selection commission for the new York County courthouse and she said she will continue to work with the Maine Judicial Branch to ensure the York County District Attorney’s Office will be located in the new courthouse in Biddeford.

“I have managed four offices and a staff of 44 people, said Slattery. “York County has the second busiest criminal docket in the state and the most challenging facilities issues. I have met the day-to-day challenges of fully staffing four different courts in four locations with overlapping schedules.”

Slattery said she was recognized by the U.S. Attorney’s office for her work with victims of crime and by Parents Against Tired Truckers for her support of highway safety. As well, the York County District Attorney’s Office received the Peter Wentworth Award for its work supporting crime victims through the Child Advocacy Center of York County.

She meets regularly with York County police chiefs, the York County Sheriff and the Maine State Police who work in York County, she said, and has worked closely with the Maine Attorney General’s Office on drug prosecution in the county.

Slattery has served on the Criminal Law Advisory Commission for more than 20 years, on the board of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, the Maine Prosecutor’s Association, and on the Oversight and Development Committee of the Layman Way Recovery Center.

“I will continue to be progressive in my approach toward criminal justice by seeking sanctions that not only punish but also address the causes of criminal behavior and achieve sentences that ensure that the criminal behavior is not repeated,” Slattery said.

Slattery is married to Maine State Police Detective Bob Slattery. The couple has six children, ages 14 to 24, and lives in Old Orchard Beach. Slattery said she is marking eight years as a cancer survivor.

When asked what she likes about her job, Slattery said, “I like the fact I can have an impact on public safety, help victims of crime and have an impact on criminal justice reform. … And I feel like I am doing some good.”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.