ALLSTON-BRIGHTON TAB
Friday, February 20, 2004

Award given in honor of Brian Honan

A new award named for late City Councilor Brian Honan was presented last week to the head of the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office's Safe Neighborhoods Initiative program.

The award, one of several presented at a ceremony honoring employees of the district attorney's office, recognized a prosecutor who has demonstrated uncommon dedication to the communities served by the office.

The Brian Honan Award was presented to Assistant District Attorney Matthew Machera.
Honan, who died in 2002, was a former Suffolk prosecutor before winning a seat on the City Council. His brother, state Rep. Kevin Honan, announced the award recipient.

"Brian Honan represented all that was good about public service," District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said at the ceremony, held at the Old South Meeting House. "As an assistant district attorney and supervisor of prosecutors at the Roxbury District Court, Brian was a tireless worker and an excellent young prosecutor who did his work with maturity, sound judgment and conviction.

"As a city councilor, he served his neighborhood with passion and with clarity of purpose. And everywhere, at all times, Brian recognized the humor and unintentional comedy that often invades the weighty matters of justice and governance. Make no mistake, with Brian's passing we were all cheated."

Machera was honored for his leadership of the Safe Neighborhoods Initiative (SNI), a community-based prosecution program in which prosecutors and advocates work closely with residents, merchants and civic groups in geographically targeted areas. The goal of the SNI is to empower community members by seeking their input into public safety problems, and potential solutions to those problems, in their neighborhood. The Suffolk district attorney's office is a lead partner in SNIs in Roxbury, Dorchester and Chelsea.