PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man is being charged in a Monday morning robbery at Berkshire Bank.
James Scales IV, 38, allegedly passed a note to a teller, brandished a knife, and fled the bank with some cash.
"The suspect reportedly passed a note to a teller, brandished a knife, and fled the bank with an amount of cash," according to Pittsfield Police. "The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of 38-year-old Pittsfield resident James Scales IV who is charged with armed robbery while masked."
Police say there may be additional charges when Scales is arraigned in Berkshire District Court on Tuesday, July 22.
No further information was provided on how Scales was taken into custody. The statement from police stated the patrol division, detective bureau, and crime scene services were involved in the investigation.
It also said the department "would like to commend the bank employees and civilian witnesses who remained calm during the incident. The employees and witnesses were able to provide important information that became pertinent to the investigation."
Police responded at about 9 a.m. to the report of the armed robbery 66 West St. branch. The department made a public post on the incident about an hour later on Facebook stating the suspect was in custody and there was no danger to the public.
"Because of the quick response from patrol, we have a suspect in custody, and there is no immediate threat to the public," the Facebook post reads. "We hope to have a press release later this afternoon."
By noon, a sign was placed outside the branch notifying the public that it was closed and the lights had been turned off.
"This location is closed Mon 7/21, please refer to Elm St or Allendale [bank branches]," it reads. "We apologize about the inconvenience. We open at 9 a.m. tomorrow."
Alison Skratt, head of the bank's corporate communications, confirmed no bank employees or clients were injured.
"Appropriate law enforcement and banking authorities were promptly notified and a suspect is in custody. We are working closely with law enforcement to support their investigation, which is ongoing," she wrote in an email response. "The safety of our employees, clients, and community is our top priority. The financial center will be closed for the remainder of the day as we assess the situation and support our team. We plan to reopen tomorrow."
Skratt noted that financial center deposits are protected by Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. insurance.
When iBerkshires arrived around noon, there was no crime scene tape and the branch had been cleared. A photo taken by the police around the time of the incident shows the outside staircase that leads to McKay Street taped off.
This is not the first time police have responded to the bank for this kind of activity. In 2022, officers were dispatched to the same branch for a holdup alarm after an attempted robbery, when someone had passed a handwritten note demanding money, then fled the scene. No cash was taken, no injuries were reported, and no weapon was displayed; the culprit was quickly arrested and sentenced to prison last year.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Dalton Considers Updating its Municipal Code
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The town is considering updating its original 18-year municipal code to 2026 standards.
During a recent Select Board meeting, General Code New England account manager Zach Dumont outlined the 18- to-24 month process.
General Code New England is a division of the International Code Council, which writes all the statewide building codes across the United States. For the last 18 years, the organization has been the codifier for municipalities.
"We work with communities to build, maintain, and update your local municipal code. That is your collection of bylaws, ordinances, regulations, and any other legislation you've ever adopted," Dumont said.
Once the project is complete, the town would have a fully updated set of books and an improved eCode360 site, he said.
"The way the process would work is we would put together a scope of work, a timeline, a price point, and everything that we would want to touch or do as a part of the code project," Dumont said.
When a municipal code is built, it has a general lifespan of about 15 to 20 years, and although that is a long time, it goes by very quickly, he said.
The landscape has special significance in the Berkshires. It is a central element in the region's scenic rural character and quality of life, as well an economic resource that is a basis of tourism.
click for more
Middle and South County led the market with increases in both sales and dollar volume in residential sales, while North County single family home sales declined. click for more
Hinsdale has experienced longer emergency response times since the Dalton Police Department suspended its mutual aid agreement with the town. Now, Hinsdale is considering suspending its use of Dalton's Communication Center.
click for more
Just a few months after Allendale Pines North cut the ribbon on its first six homes in the new manufactured home community, the planned development for more homes is already selling fast. click for more
