2024 Citizen Pittsfield Police Academy

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Police Department announced the return of the Citizen Police Academy in 2024. 
 
The academy provides an opportunity for individuals to gain a better understanding of department operations and issues and topics effecting modern day policing.
 
The department is seeking interested citizens, volunteers, community-policing partners, local business leaders, and educators. 
 
Class size will be capped at 20 participants.
 
Classes will be held at the Pittsfield Police Department and the Berkshire Innovation Center on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 PM starting April 30, 2024 through June 4, 2024.
 
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, and live or work in the City of Pittsfield. All applicants will be subject to a criminal history background check, as some prior criminal offenses may be disqualifying.
 
Interested applicants should contact Sgt. Shaun Gariepy, via email, at sgariepy@cityofpittsfield.org with any questions, or to obtain an application and recruiting materials. Applications can also be picked up at the front lobby of the police station.
 
The Deadline to apply is Monday, April 22, 2024.
 
Applications should be submitted to Sgt. Gariepy in-person at PPD Headquarters, via email at sgariepy@cityofpittsfield.org, or via USPS to 39 Allen Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201.
 
Those not selected for the current session will be placed on an eligibility list to attend the next scheduled class.
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Pittsfield Resident Victim of Alleged Murder in Greenfield

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man found dismembered in a barrel in Greenfield on Monday has been identified as Pittsfield resident.
 
The Northwestern District Attorney's Office identified victim as Christopher Hairston, 35, and subsequently arrested a suspect, Taaniel Herberger-Brown, 42, at Albany (N.Y.) International Airport on Tuesday.
 
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that Herberger-Brown told investigators he planned on visiting his mother outside the country. 
 
Herberger-Brown was detained overnight, and the State Police obtained an arrest warrant on a single count of murder on Tuesday morning, the Greenfield Police Department said in a press release.
 
According to a report written by State Police Trooper Blakeley Pottinger, the body was discovered after Greenfield police received reports of a foul odor emitting from the apartment along with a black hatchet to the left of the barrel, the Greenfield Recorder reported. 
 
Investigators discovered Hairston's hand and part of a human torso at Herberger-Brown’s former apartment, located at 92 Chapman St, the news outlet said. 
 
According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Herberger-Brown originally told investigators that he had not been to the apartment in months because he had been in and out of hospitals. 
 
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