Pittsfield Citizen Police Academy

08:07AM / Thursday, March 26, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Police Department announced the Spring 2026 session of the Citizen Police Academy.

The academy provides an opportunity for individuals to gain a better understanding of department operations and issues and topics affecting modern day policing, stated a press release.

The department is seeking interested citizens, volunteers, community-policing partners, local business leaders, students and educators to apply for this exciting opportunity. Class size will be capped at 20 participants.

Classes will be held at various locations including the Pittsfield Police Department and Berkshire Community College on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 to 8:00 PM starting April 29 through June 17, 2026.

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@pittsfieldma.gov with any questions, or to obtain an application.

Applications can also be picked up at the front lobby of the Pittsfield Police Department

The Deadline to apply is Friday, April 17, 2026.

Applications can be dropped off at PPD Headquarters, emailed to sgariepy@pittsfieldma.gov, or mailed to Sgt. Gariepy at 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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15 People Displaced in Pittsfield Home Fires

Staff Reports11:35AM / Sunday, October 11, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fifteen people were displaced after 2-alarm home fires this weekend on Springside Avenue and Elaine Drive.

On Friday evening, the Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 209 Springside Ave., which took a four-hour battle to extinguish and resulted in a partial roof collapse. The next day, on Saturday evening, crews knocked down a fire at 121 Elaine Drive in about an hour.

The garage and part of the single-family home on Elaine Drive were gutted to the frame, along with a vehicle parked in the driveway. On Springside Avenue, the top level and porch of the multifamily were burned through.

A GoFundMe has been started for the family of the Elaine Drive home, which includes several young children. The fundraiser, with a $5,500 goal, explains they lost their home and all of their belongings. (iBerkshires.com does not confirm or endorse fundraisers; they are provided as information only.)

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries, and both incidents are under investigation. One dog was rescued on Springside Avenue.

On Oct. 10, around 6:15 p.m., PFD responded to the Springside Avenue home for a reported structure fire and saw a 2 1/2-story wood frame multifamily with a heavy blaze showing from the second-floor front porch, extending out.

The building suffered a partial roof collapse, which prolonged extinguishment. The fire was brought under control after about four hours.

“An aggressive offensive attack was mounted by first arriving crews stretching hose lines into the building as well as primary searches that proved negative. Ladders were placed around the structure to provide access as well as escape if needed. An off-duty Fire Captain had also been on scene early in the incident to help evacuate the structure and rescue a dog,” PFD wrote in a press release.

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