BCC to Host Q and A, Keynote Address with Law Enforcement Expert

Print Story | Email Story
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC)'s Department of Safety and Security, in conjunction with the Criminal Justice Department, will host a special Q & A forum with veteran law enforcement officer Dr. John M. Weinstein on Tuesday, April 9 at 12:45 pm. 
 
Later in the evening, Dr. Weinstein will deliver a keynote speech at 5 pm.  
 
Both events, which are free and open to the public, will be held on the main campus of BCC, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. The Q&A session will be held in Melville Hall, Room 317, and the keynote address will be held in Koussevitzky Arts Center, Room 111. 
 
During the forum, Dr. Weinstein will talk about the future of law enforcement and will: 
  • Identify emerging trends, such as accelerating immigration, technology and AI 
  • Discuss their implications for law enforcement (e.g., recruitment, regionalization) 
  • Explain obstacles to implementing innovative changes 
At 5 p.m., Dr. Weinstein will deliver a keynote address discussing situational awareness and how to teach people, "If you see something, say something." The speech will highlight ways to encourage people to report what they witness. 
 
Registration is required for each event. To register, visit https://www.berkshirecc.edu/news-events/2024/weinstein.php.
 
According to a press release: 
 
Dr. John Weinstein is veteran Virginia law enforcement officer and a certified instructor for firearms, active incident response, Crisis Intervention Team, and conflict avoidance and de-escalation. He currently serves as a deputy sheriff and directs firearms training at a police academy  
 
Before becoming a college police officer, he served as the Chief of Police, a town sergeant, a patrol officer and a deputy sheriff.  He is widely published, with articles on numerous police operational and administrative matters, and serves on both the advisory the editorial boards of Campus Safety magazine, the principal publication covering campus and institutional safety and security.  
 
Dr. Weinstein also enjoyed a long and successful career in the US Department of Defense. He was Chief of Assessments at the interagency US Nuclear Command and Control System
(NCCS) Support Staff (NSS), and was involved in most aspects of nuclear weapons policy, planning, assessment, and command and control for over 30 years.   
 
Prior to joining the NSS, Dr. Weinstein served as the Army Chief of Staff's strategic nuclear weapons advisor and Special Assistant for Requirements and Capabilities for the Navy's Director, Strategic and Theater Nuclear Warfare. He was also a US adjunct arms control inspector, monitoring treaty compliance in the Soviet Union.  
 
After earning a PhD in International Politics at the University of Florida in 1978, he held faculty teaching and research positions at five universities. With extensive military education, he has written more than 30 essays in books and journals on U.S. and Soviet/Russian military nuclear plans and capabilities 
 
Dr. Weinstein's awards include the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service; a Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service; the Department of Army Decoration for Meritorious Civilian Service; and two US Army War College awards for outstanding faculty publications. 

Tags: BCC,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Adams Man Convicted in Murder of Stephanie Olivieri

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An Adams man was found guilty in the 2019 murder of 32-year-old Stephanie Olivieri, a Pittsfield native and mother of two.
 
A jury found Tyler Sumner, 30, guilty on Friday of murder in the first degree and possession of ammunition without a Firearm Identification Card.
 
The trial was held in Berkshire Superior Court. Judge Francis Flannery will schedule sentencing.
 
"Today justice was served in the tragic death of an innocent bystander, Stephanie Olivieri; however, this guilty verdict will do nothing to bring her back," said Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue. "Tyler Sumner murdered Ms. Olivieri while she sat in a car filled with gifts and decorations for her child's birthday. She was preparing to celebrate a wonderful event when her life was ruthlessly cut short."
 
Olivieri, who had been living in Yonkers, N.Y., was found sitting in her running car on Columbus Avenue when police responded to reports of masked men near South John Street and heard gunshots on the way.
 
The officers found Olivieri gasping for breath and blood running down the right side of her head. She was treated by emergency medical services and then transported to Berkshire Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. The Chief Medical Examiner found the cause of her death to be a homicide caused by wounds sustained from a bullet to her head.
 
Multiple individuals testified that they believed Sumner was targeting an individual living in the area of the shooting and that Olivieri was not the intended target.
 
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories