Chief State's Attorney Richard Colangelo Jr. (left) swears in Waterbury State's Attorney Maureen Platt for another term Tuesday. Courtesy photo

Maureen Platt, known for rolling out several key initiatives during her nine years as Waterbury state's attorney, was reappointed to an eight-year term Monday. She was sworn in Tuesday and her first day on the job was Wednesday.

The 64-year-old West Haven native said she is perhaps most proud of her work with the office's Early Screening Intervention docket. That program, which kicked off in Waterbury and Bridgeport in 2016, and which Platt says she pushed for, addresses low-level criminal activity in the communities of Middlebury, Naugatuck, Prospect, Southbury, Watertown, Wolcott and Waterbury.

"Rather than just give someone 15 days in jail for low-level crimes like panhandling and prostitution, we try to solve the underlying cause of that behavior," Platt said. "We actually have a social worker embedded in the office, as every file that comes in is screened. Instead of the revolving door of arrest, release, arrest, release, we ask them, 'What are the problems and why are you coming back?"'

The social worker, Platt said, "intervenes on their behalf and tries to solve problems. If it's a mental health issue, she tries to get them with mental health services. If a person is homeless, we work with them to try to get them a place to live. Our social worker establishes a relationship with these individuals to help them."

Platt continued: "It's sometimes necessary to stop criminal behavior as opposed to just punishing when it happens."

In addition, during her tenure, Platt's office—which has about 15 prosecutors—began working with federal authorities in the fight against gang violence.

"In the past, the feds would do their investigation and we'd do ours," Platt said. "Now, we are able to combine our resources and knowledge so we do not duplicate our efforts."

Moving forward, Platt said, one of her immediate goals is to address the issue of confidence, or a lack of it, that communities have with her office.

"It seems to me that there is a significant portion of the population that has lost confidence in the ability of the state's attorney," Platt said, noting it's not an issue exclusive to Waterbury or even Connecticut.

One way of gaining that confidence back, she said, is having more one-on-one interactions with community stakeholders. That, she said, is something high on her list of priorities.

"There is an overall climate of those that have lost confidence with the police and state's attorneys," she said. "There must be changes in our criminal justice system and this time provides an opportunity for growth."

During COVID-19, Platt said she will hold video conferences on a periodic basis with various stakeholders and meet them in person once the pandemic subsides. "We want to listen to people and not just talk to them." she said.

Those that know Platt say she is a dedicated public servant.

"She has a lot of compassion and that compassion extends to not only the victims of crimes, but also to those who are charged with crimes," said Superior Court Judge Peter McShane, who worked for the Division of Criminal Justice for 30 years, including eight years as Middletown's state's attorney.

"She is so progressive and forward thinking that she really is the future of criminal justice," McShane said Wednesday. "She sees beyond the 'us and them' approach and sees justice more than just prosecution."

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