Mayor Marchetti congratulates Sarah Real of Hot Plate Brewery on being named to Inc. Magazine's 500 Female Founders of 2026. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council has confirmed Marc Maddalena as chief of the Police Department. 

On Tuesday, the council approved a communication from Mayor Peter Marchetti notifying them of Maddalena's appointment. Marchetti announced this during a press conference last week, describing Maddalena as a valued member of the department, well-respected by his colleagues, and a dedicated public servant.  

The new chief has been a member of the force since 1998. 

"I want to thank you for the trust and immense responsibility you placed in me. Tonight, I'm truly honored to stand before you as your new chief and extremely grateful for all the support that I've received since the announcement came out," Maddalena said. 

Maddalena replaces Police Chief Thomas Dawley, who retired last year after 24 years with the Pittsfield force and as chief for the last few. Captain Marc Strout led the department in the interim. 

He formerly served as a patrol officer, sergeant, and lieutenant, and has completed more than 240 hours as a fully accredited traffic accident reconstructionist. 

"To the citizens of Pittsfield, my philosophy is simple: Policing is a partnership. We cannot be successful without your trust, and that trust is earned one interaction at a time," Maddalena said. 

"No matter what we're responding to, we will treat every individual with respect and professionalism, because we aren't just policing this community, but we're all a part of it." 

He thanked the people who made it possible to work on the force for the last 28 years and moving forward: his family, because "I may wear the badge, but I know you carry the weight of this profession right alongside me," and the men and women of the department, who he said are the "backbone of this community."