Northampton County district attorney asks personnel committee to approve staffing shifts, auto‑theft task force funding and victim‑services pay parity

The Northampton County District Attorney told the county personnel committee that he is seeking multiple staffing changes, new hires and equipment funding to reduce case backlogs, add an auto‑theft enforcement capability and staff a victim‑services unit funded by a RASA grant.

The request, presented during a personnel committee meeting, included a proposal to upgrade and hire assistant district attorneys, eliminate two clerical technician positions to create a paralegal and a paralegal/clerical specialist, upgrade supervisory and administrative assistant positions, and create a child‑abuse coordinator/victim‑advocate role funded by a RASA grant. The DA also described using existing drug task‑force funds to install license‑plate readers and said a separate insurance‑industry grant will support a county auto‑theft task force.

"They've gone above and beyond and I want to reward them by giving them a raise for their first year," the District Attorney said, describing proposed pay changes for prosecutors. He told the committee the office has rebuilt staffing since he took over, that the office once had "12 full time DAs and 3 part time DAs," and that it currently has five open attorney positions.

On case processing, the District Attorney said the office is attempting to resolve most incoming cases within a year, "which is a big change from how it used to be," while complex murder cases remain exceptions. He credited senior staff and line attorneys for moving inventory and said centralizing DUI cases has sped resolution and use of ARD or alternative sentencing where appropriate.

The DA outlined an auto‑theft initiative supported by a nonprofit insurance consortium that funds similar task forces statewide and said he will spend about $90,000 this year from drug task‑force money to install license‑plate readers around the county. "These license plate readers will be very important with regard to tracking stolen cars," he said, and said the county plans to sign a contract with Flock Safety next month and invite local police departments to participate.

On administrative technology, the DA said his office considered replacing its prosecutorial management system (PMS), receiving vendor proposals ranging from about $50,000 to $150,000, but has found ways to expand the existing system internally. He proposed promoting an in‑house staffer to manage and upgrade PMS to avoid the larger upfront cost.

Regarding victim services, the DA said two positions in the child‑abuse coordinator/victim‑advocate unit will be funded by the RASA grant. He asked that both hires be paid $58,000 to maintain pay parity after learning a transferred employee was already being paid at that level. "It's not going to cause any financial hardship at all to the county," he said, adding the positions are grant‑funded.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about current staffing levels, the vision for a full complement of prosecutors, potential personnel losses if senior staff run successfully for other offices, and whether the DA's office would need additional budget authority. The DA repeatedly said he intends to remain within his budget and would seek any required changes through the normal budget process: "I have to live within my budget."

Several motions to "move forward" on the personnel items were made during the meeting, but the transcript does not record seconds or vote tallies for those motions. The committee also heard a supportive comment from a committee member who called the stolen‑vehicle task force "a fantastic endeavor."

If approved by the full council or finalized in later budget actions, the changes would reallocate clerical roles, add a paralegal capacity, dedicate at least one full‑time prosecutor and one detective to the auto‑theft task force, and maintain two grant‑funded victim‑services positions at equal pay. Hiring and some implementations remain contingent on filling vacancies and following standard county hiring and budget procedures.

The DA said he plans further community engagement and juvenile prevention work in coming months, and staff said they will report back as grant funding is implemented and contracts for license‑plate readers are executed.