Pittsfield Police Department Announces Citizen Police Academy

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Police Department has announced its spring 2025 Citizen Police Academy session.

The academy aims to provide community members with information about department operations and contemporary policing issues.

The department is seeking applications from citizens, volunteers, community-policing partners, business leaders, students, and educators. The class size is limited to 20 participants.

Classes will be held on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., beginning April 30 and concluding June 18, 2025. Classes will take place at the Pittsfield Police Department and Berkshire Community College.

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and reside or work in Pittsfield. All applicants will undergo a criminal history background check, and certain prior criminal offenses may result in disqualification.

Interested individuals can contact Sgt. Shaun Gariepy via email at [email address removed] to request an application and recruitment materials. Applications are also available at the police station's front lobby.

The application deadline is Monday, April 18, 2025.

Applications can be submitted in person at Pittsfield Police Department Headquarters, via email to sgariepy@cityofpittsfield.org, or by mail to 39 Allen Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201.

Applicants not selected for the spring session will be placed on a waiting list for future classes.

 

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Dalton Police Facility Report Complete; Station Future Still Uncertain

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee's final report is complete but the future of the station remains uncertain. 
 
Several members of the committee attended the Select Board meeting last week, as co-Chair Craig Wilbur presented four options delineated in the presentation — build on town-owned land, build on private land, renovate or repurpose the existing buildings, and do nothing. The full report can be found here
 
According to the report, addressing the station's needs coincides with the town facing significant financial challenges, with rising fixed costs and declining state aid straining its budget. 
 
These financial pressures restrict the town's ability to fund major capital projects and a new police station has to compete with a backlog of deferred infrastructure needs like water, sewer, roads, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
 
In June 2024, Police Chief Deanna Strout informed the board of the station's dire condition — including issues with plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and damaged cells — prompting the board to take action on two fronts. 
 
The board set aside American Rescue Plan Act funds to address the immediately dire issues, including the ventilation, and established the Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee to navigate long-term options
 
Very early on it was determined that the current facility is not adequate enough to meet the needs of a 21st-century Police Facility. This determination was backed up following a space needs assessment by Jacunski Humes Architects LLC
 
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