Piffsfield Police Chief runs regional SWAT team

12:00AM / Wednesday, July 24, 2002Print Story | Email Story

A regional swat team is available to more than half the towns in Berkshire County in the event of a high-risk incident, such as a hostage situation, according to Chief Anthony Riello of the Pittsfield Police Department. Riello was instrumental in bringing together many of the county's police departments to form the Berkshire County Regional Strategic Response Team in November 2000. A mutual aid agreement was established amongst the participating cities and towns. It specifies that the team will respond to incidents in those communities when needed, he said. A $300,000 grant was secured for the growth of the team on December 18, 2000. U.S. Rep. John W. Olver (D-1st District) was instrumental in obtaining the grant for the team, Riello said. The grant money, which is administered through Riello's office and is good for three years, is to be spent on equipment and training and to support the team, including the cost of call-outs for incidents and paying team members, Riello said. Two vehicles were purchased for the team with the grant money. One is a "very useful, versatile" armored swat truck called The Bear, which cost $175,000 and is garaged in Pittsfield, he said. The other, the team's first response vehicle, is a Ford Expedition with special equipment and a weapons locker. The team has been called out "half a dozen to a dozen times," Riello said. It is used in high-risk drug raids, he said. The team is comprised of 22 members, 14 of whom are Pittsfield officers. Seven county police departments have officers on the team, including North Adams, Williamstown, Sheffield, Lee and Great Barrington, Riello said. Pittsfield Police Capt. Cosmo Spezzaferro runs the team, Riello said. Second in command for the team is Lt. Bruce Hugabone. The team trains for four hours usually every other week, Riello said. Role play exercises are one part of their training. An example of a role play they practice is a situation where there is an active shooter or shooters in a school, he said. The team was modeled after a regional team in eastern Massachusetts, he said. Other situations that would involve the team include natural disasters, search-and-rescue operations, mob action, civil disturbances, unusual occurrences and any other situation threatening the peace of the jurisdiction, according to a press release from Olver's office. Prior to regional team forming, the Pittsfield Police Department had its own 14-member swat team, which was absorbed into the regional team and is that team's "nucleus," Riello said. The vehicle that the city purchased was manufactured by Lenco Industries Inc., which has been manufacturing armored vehicles in Pittsfield since 1981. The vehicle is an armored swat truck, a bullet-resistant special response vehicle used in especially hazardous or dangerous police situations, said Len Light, vice president of Lenco. Describing the truck as a "defensive piece of equipment," he said it has the dual purpose of transporting the police into the situation and rescuing those who need to be rescued, he said. In a hostage situation, the swat truck, which is resistant to high-powered assault rifles, would allow the police to get close to the scene, Light said. It is a user-friendly vehicle, which can fit 30 people in the back and has on board stretcher compartments, he said.

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Weekend Outlook: Lenox Apple Squeeze and More

12:18PM / Thursday, September 24, 2026

It might look to be a rainy first weekend of fall, but there's plenty to do around the Berkshires.

Editor's Pick

Lenox Apple Squeeze
Downtown Lenox
Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The 45th edition of Lenox's signature fall festival features more than 100 artisan and food vendors, live music, family activities, and a full street fair experience in downtown Lenox.

The festival is free to attend and will include a day of family fun with music, food and a kids carnival, as well as musical performances throughout downtown.

More information here.

Multiple Days

Eastern States Exposition
West Springfield
Through Oct. 4

The Big E is the region's biggest fair with live entertainment, a midway, circus, exhibits, parades, booths, food, agricultural competitions, and presentations by each of the New England states.

Tickets and information here.

North Adams Library Book Sale

St. Elizabeth's Parish Hall

Friday 9 to 4, Saturday 9 to 3

Stock up on reading material for the winter: Books, DVDs, CDs, puzzles, games, and baked goods. Proceeds benefit the public library.

Friday

Fall Migration for Beginning Birders
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox
7-8:30 a.m.

This beginner-friendly walk focuses on bird-finding tips, simple identification cues, and observing bird behavior. The Pike's Pond Loop — a mostly flat trail with accessible features — offers a beautiful scenic view of both the pond and Yokun Ridge in the distance.

Registration and information here.

American Stories Curator Talks: Service and Sacrifice
Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge
9:30 a.m.

Chief Curator Stephanie Haboush Plunkett will describe how during times of war artists and illustrators have worked as reporters, makers of propaganda, and mythmakers. This session will consider the ethical responsibilities of artists, including Norman Rockwell and J.C. Leyendecker, involved in wartime image production and will pose questions about memory, accountability, and the relevance of wartime imagery in our society.

Tickets and information here.

What's The Tea @ WCMA
Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown
4-5:30 p.m.

Stop by the museum between 4 and 5:30 to learn about what's happening at WCMA this year. Start off in the lounge with a cup of tea before heading into the galleries for a peek at Object Lab, where you will see works of art classes will be studying this fall. Then make your way upstairs to get a behind-the-scenes look of how the museum is preparing for its new home, opening in 2027. Free and open to all.

More information here.

'Be Good!' with Paulette
The Foundry, West Stockbridge
7:30 p.m.

Hot off of an international tour, certified clown Daniel Maseda brings well-mannered idiot Paulette to the Berkshires for the very second time with this fan-favorite show that never plays out the same way twice. A good night for anyone who wants to scream at a polite person.

Tickets and information here.

Friday Karaoke
Dalton American Legion
6 p.m.

More information here.

Saturday

Harvest Run and Community Fun 2026

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