Pittsfield Woman Arrested for 'Machete' Armed Robbery at Big Y

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PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A city woman is being charged after allegedly threatening a grocery store clerk with a machete before stealing groceries. 

Shortly before 9 p.m. on Tuesday, the Pittsfield Police responded to Big Y Supermarket at 200 West St. for a report of a woman who pulled out a bladed object described as a "machete," pointed it at the employees in a threatening manner, and left the store with a cart full of items. 

Police Capt. Matthew Hill reported that the person, later identified as Collette Davis of Pittsfield, has been asked to leave the store by employees due to previous incidents. 

Additional charges were added the next day during her booking due to an alleged attack on officers. 

"Officers located Ms. Davis the following day (6/11) and [she] was subsequently placed under arrest on a warrant for the 6/10 incident. The "machete" that may have been used in the incident at Big Y was recovered & seized as evidence," he wrote. 


"Following her arrest, she assaulted two officers in the booking room of the PPD. 2 counts of Assault & Battery on a Police Officer were added against her. She was scheduled to be arraigned at Central Berkshire District Court." 

An eyewitness provided iBerkshires with an account of the incident, explaining that they saw a woman trying to steal a cart full of groceries pull out the large blade when asked to pay.  The person expressed a fear of Big Y becoming unsafe over the years and reported seeing a decrease in security. 


 


Tags: robbery,   

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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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