cally share the same story . That goes a long way with a young person . I know it went a long way with me . And we shouldn ’ t be left to define this career as someone we see on Law and Order , or other television shows or movies .
Pattillo believes that the community is the most important part of a successful equation . You need people to step up and be a witness and come testify if they see any wrongdoing in the community . We must get away from this culture of not saying , seeing or hearing anything . You can ’ t prove a case unless people come forward . At all costs , we should be supporting our young people and redirecting our youth when they are headed down a dangerous path . We should also be promoting education , because it is the great equalizer in our society and making sure our youth are taking advantage of an education that is free to them . Focus on the gems that every community has . Gravitate to those things . Stop racism , discrimination and sexism . Battle those things wherever they rear their ugly head . But at the end of the day , we need to focus more on what we can control and I don ’ t think we do enough of that as a community . We need people to be engaged as citizens . Don ’ t assume someone else is going to deal with it .
Pattillo is conscious about what can be controlled and handled within his office . " We recognize the District Attorney ’ s office can ’ t cure every social ill , and if other organizations are doing a great job , we will support them in every way we can . If a program already exists , we can engage them if it makes sense to us and within the purview of this office . We will have no problem in joining forces or assisting them any way we can . Also , we will rely on churches , schools or nonprofits to work with us to help make our community safe ."
Pattillo describes himself as " Fair and tough ". He continues by saying , " I don ’ t think those words are mutually exclusive . I don ’ t necessarily think they ’ re two separate things .
It ’ s like good parenting . When we look back on our parents and how they disciplined us , we realize it was a learning experience . I ’ ve done this for 14 years . I ’ ve had mothers , parents
and defendants come up to me and say , “ I appreciate you for treating me fairly .” I think it ’ s important for the D . A . to have perspective and if we believe we have the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt , we ’ re going to be aggressive to keep dangerous people off the streets . But at the same time we don ’ t want to destroy lives that are salvageable . Why should a 17 year old , non-violent kid who has no record , live with a felony and have to worry about how that impacts their education , employment and sometimes housing for the rest of their lives ? One thing about being a prosecutor is that people sometimes lose sight of the fact that one of our biggest responsibilities is to make sure that everyone is being treated fairly . That is something I ’ ve always done and will always continue to do . He is a husband , father and community servant . " If I don ’ t take care of my own home , I can ’ t begin to make life-changing decisions about other people ’ s lives . I grew up in a family where we had both parents and I know the value in that . I
know what my parents gave me and in turn I want to do the same for my children . Our true legacy is what we leave for our children . Try to make sure they grow up to be productive citizens . At the end of the day there is no bigger priority than your family . It ’ s the joy you get in life . This is a very stressful business . I want the schools to be strong and the streets to be safe for not only my children , but for all children . When people know that they have a D . A . that cares about the community , they feel satisfied that we are going to make the right decisions based on facts and evidence . That ’ s the reason I ran for office because I believe the District Attorney should be someone that is known in the community for being a minister of justice . That is what I was elected to do and that is what I will do !
Game Changers Magazine Mar / Apr 2017 - 22