Bianchi Looking To Reopen Pittsfield Police Substations

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
10:35AM / Wednesday, February 06, 2013Print Story | Email Story

The mayor wants to reopen substations in housing projects such as Wilson Park on Memorial Drive. The Wilson substation was 'incredibly successful,' said police Lt. Kate O'Brien.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Daniel Bianchi is exploring ways to bring police substations back to four public housing projects.

Police used to have either an apartment or a room in Francis Plaza, Wilson Park Apartments, Dower Square and Christopher Arms as resource centers. They weren't staffed full time but an officers would meet with residents, provide information and bring the community together to organize picnics and carnivals.

"It was more of a resource center and a place where a beat officer could meet with people," Police Lt. Kate O'Brien said Monday at the Police Advisory Committee. "The Wilson Project was incredibly successful. It was building the neighborhood up."

The biggest benefit was that it brought residents together when they wouldn't interact otherwise and empowered them to do more together. It also opened lines of communication with both neighbors and officers to address issues facing the residents.

"We're not telling people to do anything. They are a part of it," O'Brien said.

But about 15 years ago, the officer who ran the substation was reassigned and grant money ran dry.

Bianchi has already begun conversations with the committee, sheriff's department, Police Department, district attorney's office and the Housing Authority to research options. Each one of those agencies is expected to weigh in and the mayor's office will put together a plan.

"We found them pretty effective," Bianchi said on Tuesday of the past substations. "It's good when you can have more of a police presence."

The city could seek additional funding through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development or absorb it in the city budget, Bianchi said.

"This could be a good, effective way to bring policing more into the community but also have a greater civic involvement," he said. "It can go from very little cost to a lot more expensive depending on how you design them."

Tags: community policing, housing projects, Pittsfield Police,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

Greylock Youth SummerFest

Come join in on the wealth building fun! August 3-8. Click for event details. Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

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

West Nile Virus Confirmed in Mosquitoes From Pittsfield

Staff Reports 02:51PM / Friday, August 14, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) announced today that West Nile virus (WNV) has been detected in mosquitoes collected from Pittsfield.

The City of Pittsfield has confirmed two isolations at the Pittsfield-Richmond town line on Route 41 and the other at Garland Avenue.

WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquitoes that carry this virus are common throughout the state and are found in urban as well as more rural areas. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe infection.

At the time, there are no confirmed human cases of WNV, but residents are encouraged to take the following actions:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30 percent or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age. Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin.
Clothing Can Help reduce mosquito bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours - The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. When risk is increased, consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. If you are outdoors at any time and notice mosquitoes around you, take steps to avoid being bitten by moving indoors, covering up and/or wearing repellant.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

Drain Standing Water – Many mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools and change water in birdbaths frequently.
Install or Repair Screens - Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all your windows and doors.

While the City of Pittsfield and Berkshire County Mosquito Control project continue to work closely with the MDPH and other agencies, locally we are taking the following actions: larvicide application, conducting targeted education programs, distribution of fact sheets on WNV and on reducing exposure to mosquitos and treating catch basins.

Additional information about WNV and reports on current and historical WNV virus activity in Massachusetts can be found on the MDPH website at: www.mass.gov/dph/mosquito.

View Full Story