Pittsfield's Westside Neighbors Vent Following Another Violent Crime
Lindsay Roucoulet said one of those being accused of killing her fiance was out on bail related to domestic abuse charges.
Lt. Glen Decker spent 18 years on the narcotics beat and he'll tell you that it's not that simple. In fact, he's watched known drug user after known drug user walk into a home and leave shortly afterward. He knows what happened in there.
But without an informant performing a controlled buy inside there, there isn't much he can do.
"That's what it takes to get into a house, that's what we need, controlled buys," Decker said.
Decker said he can't count the number of times he watched similar instances happen at 219 Robbins Ave., the home outside of which 34-year-old William Catalano was murdered last week. He said officers are in the neighborhood undercover, in plainclothes, using their own personal vehicles, observing the behavior and trying to get an informant.
It is a burden of proof that goes above what residents see and know about their neighborhood. And even if the department can get an informant in, that only helps get a search warrant and more evidence will be needed to build a case for court.
"We understand you see what you know to be a drug deal. We have to meet the burden of proof that we can testify to in court," Decker said.
That's not what the residents of the West Side wanted to hear Monday night, and one woman even got into a verbal spat with Decker saying officers should be able to detain people walking out of known drug dens. Decker responded that the officer can approach anybody, but all the person has to say is "I didn't do anything" and walk away.
"When they tell you to beat it, you're done," Decker said, after role-playing with Chief Michael Wynn in such a scenario.
Decker said having neighbors report license plates of suspicious vehicles is "huge" because even if authorities can't get into a house right away, they might be able to get somebody driving with a revoked license, which opens the door to a possible informant.
But it is frustrating and Decker's explanation did little to calm the anxieties of those in the West Side who gathered at Conte Community School on Monday evening to discuss violence and crime in their neighborhood. That 219 Robbins address has been a long known hub for criminal activity and those on the West Side feel nothing has been done about it.
"What you see as clear criminal activity and what officers see may not be the same," Wynn said, comparing the perspective and information residents in a neighborhood have to the level of proof an officer needs.
One resident, who gave his name as Dave, saw it firsthand when his son overdosed on heroin. His son had left a home on Circular Avenue before he overdosed. He told law enforcement exactly where his son got it, and still, nothing happened. Police have documented hundreds of calls to Circular Avenue.
And it doesn't give anyone confidence to report it when a judge is going to let somebody back out on the streets on bail. After an arrest, the alleged criminal is still innocent until proven guilty and bail is used to ensure somebody returns for court. Wynn said if a person hasn't missed court dates in the past, then judges won't require a high bail.
"Bail is simply securing a hearing," said District Attorney Paul Caccaviello, who said there is a process for a dangerousness hearing that could lead to someone being held without bail.
Caccaviello said the prosecutors ask for a certain level of bail but judges ultimately make the financial decision.
"As far as the amount goes, we make that assessment based on the person's prior record," Caccaviello said.
That answer doesn't appease Lindsay Roucoulet. It was Roucoulet's fiance who was stabbed to death, who left behind four children, while he was making a house call as a barber. And one of the alleged killers was out on bail for allegedly beating and threatening his girlfriend.
"This could have been prevented, absolutely prevented, and I don't think judges take it serious enough," Roucoulet said.
Wynn directed concerns about bail to the state level, saying the Legislature would have to pass something overhauling the way bail is done. State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier said the dangerousness of an individual involved in domestic issues hasn't been taken all that serious by judges, and that's the problem with those instances.
"Someone who is a perpetrator of domestic violence is not taken very seriously as dangerous. We need to change that mindset," Farley-Bouvier said. "Domestic violence is a serious issue and needs to be taken seriously."
Another woman said she has repeatedly reported what she sees. But police have not been keeping her anonymous as she has asked. She said she'll report something, asking not to be named, and officers will knock on her door in front of the whole neighborhood — making it pretty clear who reported it. She feels she is risking her life by doing so.
It is those types of issues residents vented about Monday night. West Side Neighborhood Initiative Chairwoman Linda Kelley headed the meeting, looking for residents to come together to combat the crime in the neighborhood.
"Our neighborhood is a place where we have residents of mixed cultures and incomes, it is a place you can grow and develop fully, while also be safe, affordable, an attractive neighborhood to live in," Kelley said of the initiative's mission.
But that vision is far from being seen. She cited a number of efforts to improve playground equipment and get crosswalks painted, but the neighborhood is still dealing with violence and drugs.
"During the eight years that I have lived here in Pittsfield and on the West Side, we have gathered a number of times in sadness, in fear, in frustration to mourn the tragic loss of one of our residents," Kelley said.
Police Chief Michael Wynn gets into the weeds of the law as residents press the department on how it operates.
And yet, violent crimes haven't really been curbed.
According to Police Department records, combined assaults, aggravated assaults, murders, and attempted murders have stayed fairly consistent throughout the last five years citywide.
So far this year, 19 percent of all aggravated assaults; 23 percent of all drug overdoses; 28 percent of drug violations; and 29 percent of weapons violations; and 27 percent of larceny from a person, were all committed in West Side neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, Wynn said specifically in the Robbins Avenue and Linden Street area there were 136 additional patrols — not counting undercover operations — 115 calls for disturbances; 92 fire/emergency calls; 73 times to serve papers; 56 times for assault and batteries; 54 times for suspicious activity; and 47 well-being checks among other calls.
Police were at 219 Robbins 59 times so far this year for various reasons, Wynn said, so it was certainly on the department's radar.
The residents pushed for foot patrols, which Wynn said would require the department to double inside and instead the officers have been doing "park and walk" to help get some foot presence. The residents want more interaction with police.
The residents want a police substation to open — and have some ideas on how — and Wynn doesn't disagree with that concept if the city is willing to pay for it. Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Carolyn Valli teased the idea of the non-profit funding a location if police were willing to utilize it.
Kelley hoped to move the discussion into being forward-looking through suggestions such as substations and foot patrols. But she was faced with criticism from a community that had a lot more questions to pose to the department, the district attorney's office, and city officials.
Kelley said there will certainly be more meetings as she hopes to grow the community effort to combat the crime issues.
"We have a lot more to address and with your help, we can do this," she said.
The concerns voiced on Monday did have an audience filled with elected officials including Mayor Linda Tyer, City Council President Peter Marchetti, City Council Vice President John Krol, Councilors at Large Earl Persip and Peter White, Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Simonelli (who originally began organizing the meeting), School Committee Chairwoman Katherine Yon, state Sen. Adam Hinds, and Sheriff Thomas Bowler.
Tags: Crime, drug crimes, murder, West Side,
