BCC to Host Q and A, Keynote Address with Law Enforcement Expert

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC)'s Department of Safety and Security, in conjunction with the Criminal Justice Department, will host a special Q & A forum with veteran law enforcement officer Dr. John M. Weinstein on Tuesday, April 9 at 12:45 pm. 
 
Later in the evening, Dr. Weinstein will deliver a keynote speech at 5 pm.  
 
Both events, which are free and open to the public, will be held on the main campus of BCC, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. The Q&A session will be held in Melville Hall, Room 317, and the keynote address will be held in Koussevitzky Arts Center, Room 111. 
 
During the forum, Dr. Weinstein will talk about the future of law enforcement and will: 
  • Identify emerging trends, such as accelerating immigration, technology and AI 
  • Discuss their implications for law enforcement (e.g., recruitment, regionalization) 
  • Explain obstacles to implementing innovative changes 
At 5 p.m., Dr. Weinstein will deliver a keynote address discussing situational awareness and how to teach people, "If you see something, say something." The speech will highlight ways to encourage people to report what they witness. 
 
Registration is required for each event. To register, visit https://www.berkshirecc.edu/news-events/2024/weinstein.php.
 
According to a press release: 
 
Dr. John Weinstein is veteran Virginia law enforcement officer and a certified instructor for firearms, active incident response, Crisis Intervention Team, and conflict avoidance and de-escalation. He currently serves as a deputy sheriff and directs firearms training at a police academy  
 
Before becoming a college police officer, he served as the Chief of Police, a town sergeant, a patrol officer and a deputy sheriff.  He is widely published, with articles on numerous police operational and administrative matters, and serves on both the advisory the editorial boards of Campus Safety magazine, the principal publication covering campus and institutional safety and security.  
 
Dr. Weinstein also enjoyed a long and successful career in the US Department of Defense. He was Chief of Assessments at the interagency US Nuclear Command and Control System
(NCCS) Support Staff (NSS), and was involved in most aspects of nuclear weapons policy, planning, assessment, and command and control for over 30 years.   
 
Prior to joining the NSS, Dr. Weinstein served as the Army Chief of Staff's strategic nuclear weapons advisor and Special Assistant for Requirements and Capabilities for the Navy's Director, Strategic and Theater Nuclear Warfare. He was also a US adjunct arms control inspector, monitoring treaty compliance in the Soviet Union.  
 
After earning a PhD in International Politics at the University of Florida in 1978, he held faculty teaching and research positions at five universities. With extensive military education, he has written more than 30 essays in books and journals on U.S. and Soviet/Russian military nuclear plans and capabilities 
 
Dr. Weinstein's awards include the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service; a Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service; the Department of Army Decoration for Meritorious Civilian Service; and two US Army War College awards for outstanding faculty publications. 

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Pittsfield Subcommittee Considers E-Bike Safety

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Some city councilors want to explore ways to encourage safe e-bike use. 

On Monday, the Ordinances and Rules Subcommittee discussed the request by Councilor At Large Kathy Amuso and Ward 3 Councilor Matthew Wrinn to increase enforcement of bicycle and e-bike use on Pittsfield streets, install signage in high-traffic areas, and launch an educational program for kids. 

Amuso has received reports of kids riding motorized bikes at 15 to 20 mph on the sidewalk while people are trying to back out of their driveways, and she fears someone might get hurt.  

She said that if they could start with some basics, such as riding with traffic in bike lanes and requiring operators under 16 to wear helmets, it would address most of the calls. 

"Do I think we need to put 10 police on trying to find e-bikes throughout the city? I don't," she said. "But there are enough calls that I'm getting, and other councilors are getting, that we have to say, ‘OK, what can we do?’ And we have a lot of bike lanes in Pittsfield, and the e-bikes and all bikes should be in the bike lanes, not on the sidewalk."

The petition was tabled so that the Department of Public Works can study it and gather further information.  

In Massachusetts, an e-bike with a top speed of 20 mph and a motor of 750 watts or less is classified as a traditional bicycle. State law defines two e-bike classes: 

  • "Class 1 electric bicycle" is defined as having a motor of 750 watts or less that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to assist when the bicycle reaches 20 mph.
     
  • "Class 2 electric bicycle" is defined as having a motor of 750 watts or less that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and is not capable of assisting when the bicycle reaches 20 mph.

Riders 16 years or younger must wear a helmet by law.  

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