Pittsfield Police Department Announces Citizen Police Academy

03:00PM / Wednesday, March 26, 2025Print Story | Email Story

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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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Rename

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to rename the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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