17 Pittsfield Officers on POST Misconduct Database

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:18AM / Monday, August 28, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Seventeen Pittsfield Police officers can be found in the state's Peace Officer Training Standards Commission's misconduct database with allegations ranging from neglect of duty to racial bias and associating with known criminals.

Some of the incidents date back more than a decade.

"The POST Commission Report is one step towards increasing transparency between policing and communities. Pittsfield has, and will continue, to provide information to the POST Commission," Mayor Linda Tyer said in response to a request for comment.

"There are thousands of interactions between the police and the community in the course of any given year. Most of them occur without incident. Sometimes, however, police officers must be subjected to a review and disciplinary action. The purpose of the report is to provide communities with insight into those situations."

Last week, the POST Commission released a database of law enforcement agency disciplinary records containing more than 3,400 records from 273 law enforcement agencies that are updated through Jan. 31 of this year.

According to the POST Commission, the data reflects complaints and allegations that have been sustained by a "preponderance of evidence." Allegations that could not be sustained, were unfounded or exonerated are not included.

The reports include bias on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.; complaints of excessive, prohibited, or deadly force; misrepresenting or falsifying reports or evidence; and criminal misconduct. It also lists any disciplinary measures.

Pittsfield is among the Berkshire County communities that contributed a misconduct report. It includes 17 officers with incidents ranging from 2006 to 2022.

Officer Darren Derby, who is known for his popular social media content on community engagement, was given a written reprimand in January 2022 for "Unlawful entry, seizure, search, or stop, Other Misconduct Other — conduct unbecoming, Other Misconduct — Unlawful entry, seizure, search, or stop, Criminal Conduct/ Other criminal conduct."

According to the report, this included improper seizure of cell phone, improper dissemination of official
information, improper search of cell phone, and illegal seizure of person and cell phone.

Also in 2022, Officer Steven Haecker was given a 30-plus day suspension for "Criminal Conduct / Other criminal conduct, Truthfulness or Professional Integrity / Other form of untruthfulness, Other Misconduct / Other / conduct unbecoming, Other Misconduct — Improper firearm usage or storage."

Allegation details are redacted but read "(Charged:Misdemeanor), Truthfulness or Professional Integrity (:), Other Misconduct (:), Other Misconduct (:)"

In 2012, Robert Horne was given disciplinary action for not being truthful and conduct unbecoming. The report alleges that he was giving inconsistent answers to internal affairs interview, gambling, associating with known criminals, and visiting prohibited establishments.

This case is the only one with the possibility of termination documented for Pittsfield officers.

Officer Matthew Kirchner received a written reprimand for harassment in 2022; Officer Brennon Stockton had complaints in 2018 for failing to "remove unwanted subject" and in 2020 for throwing a water bottle at a cruiser in frustration, receiving a written warning; and Officer Michael Schilling was disciplined in 2020 through retraining for a failure to follow procedures, an incomplete investigation and attempts to release a prisoner prior to arraignment and discard evidence.

Williamstown Police listed three officers whose misconduct dealt with misuse of the Criminal Justice Information Services. Officers Craig Eichhammer, Kevin Garner and Scott Skorpuski were all cited for accessing the system on the same date in 2021.

At the time, the force was in turmoil with the departure of the police chief and allegations of sexual harassment and racist behavior.

All three officers were suspended for one to five days and Eichhammer, who also had lewdness and assault complaints, was given a "last chance agreement."

Lanesborough Officer Brad Lepicier was suspended for insubordination in 2020; North Adams Officer Erik Thomas was suspended for excessive force in 2022 and "neglect of duty" in 2021; Sheffield Officer Matthew O'Sullivan has a number of misconduct complaints over the last several years, including violating policy, withholding details from reports, insubordination and racist language with disciplinary measures from retrainings to suspensions to termination.

Tags: police misconduct,

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Capeless Students Raise $5,619 for Charity

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
11:13AM / Friday, December 19, 2025

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Students at Capeless Elementary School celebrated the season of giving by giving back to organizations that they feel inspired them.

On Monday night, 28 fourth-grade students showed off the projects they did to raise funds for an organization of their choice. They had been given $5 each to start a small business by teachers Jeanna Newton and Lidia White.

Newton created the initiative a dozen years ago after her son did one while in fifth grade at Craneville Elementary School, with teacher Teresa Bills.

"And since it was so powerful to me, I asked her if I could steal the idea, and she said yes. And so the following year, I began, and I've been able to do it every year, except for those two years (during the pandemic)," she said. "And it started off as just sort of a feel-good project, but it has quickly tied into so many of the morals and values that we teach at school anyhow, especially our Portrait of a Graduate program."

Students used the venture capital to sell cookies, run raffles, make jewelry, and more. They chose to donate to charities and organizations like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Berkshire Humane Society and Toys for Tots.

"Teaching them that because they have so much and they're so blessed, recognizing that not everybody in the community has as much, maybe not even in the world," said Newton. "Some of our organizations were close to home. Others were bigger hospitals, and most of our organizations had to do with helping the sick or the elderly, soldiers, people in need."

Once they have finished and presented their projects, the students write an essay on what they did and how it makes them feel.

"So the essay was about the project, what they decided to do, how they raised more money," Newton said. "And now that the project is over, this week, we're writing about how they feel about themselves and we've heard everything from I feel good about myself to this has changed me."

Sandra Kisselbrock raised $470 for St. Jude's by selling homemade cookies.

"It made me feel amazing and happy to help children during the holiday season," she said.

Gavin Burke chose to donate to the Soldier On Food Pantry. He shoveled snow to earn money to buy the food.

"Because they helped. They used to fight for our country and used to help protect us from other countries invading our land and stuff," he said.

Desiree Brignoni-Lay chose to donate to Toys for Tots and bought toys with the $123 she raised.

Luke Tekin raised $225 for the Berkshire Humane Society by selling raffle tickets for a basket of instant hot chocolate and homemade ricotta cookies because he wanted to help the animals.

"Because animals over, like I'm pretty sure, over 1,000 animals are abandoned each year, he said. "So I really want that to go down and people to adopt them."

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