Dalton Select Board to Hold Q&A Session on DCTV

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — Time and again residents have asked for more transparency from town government and now, thanks to a new series on Dalton Community Television, they will have just that. 
 
At a recent Select Board meeting, Chair Robert Bishop pitched that the town hold question-and-answer sessions to be filmed by the public broadcasting channel. 
 
The item, at the time not on the agenda so could not be discussed, was approved last Monday. 
 
"A lot of times on social media or wherever, even by word of mouth, things don't always come out the way they should do, and people get confused," Bishop said. 
 
"I would welcome any kind of questions pertaining to Select Board matters that we can answer." 
 
To comply with open meeting law, each episode will include no more than two members, and discussions will be limited to answering questions — no deliberation will occur. 
 
The show will begin airing once the town has received enough questions to fill a 30-minute segment. After that, it will continue bi-weekly on a schedule to be announced.
 
Email questions to Executive Assistant Lori Venezia or Bishop with the subject line "Select Board Q&A. 
 
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Peace Officer Standards Commission Strips Former Pittsfield Cop of Certification

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A former Pittsfield Police officer was one of five statewide who recently had their licenses revoked by the  POST Commission. 

Last week, the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission voted to strip five former officers of their licenses to work in law enforcement, including former PPD officer William Straub

The commission had determined that these workers were unfit to carry a badge and gun in Massachusetts; so far, 92 state police officers have been decertified by the commission. 

Records indicate that Straub faced charges tied to a 2024 incident, but details are redacted.  On Oct. 31, 2024, the POST Commission suspended Straub's law enforcement certification, and he resigned from PPD in April. 

"According to Pittsfield District Court records, Straub pleaded guilty in April to two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery tied to a 2024 incident," MassLive wrote on Monday. 

"Three other charges, including drunk driving and carrying a firearm while intoxicated, were continued without a finding. While that resolution allows the charges to be dismissed after a period of time if Straub abides by certain conditions, the commission treats them as a criminal conviction."

According to records, he was certified as a police officer in July of 2021, and recertified in July 2024.  

"The Respondent's appointing agency, the Pittsfield Police Department ("PPD"), submitted a final report to the Commission finding that the Respondent had engaged in criminal conduct and conduct unbecoming [of] an officer," the Aug. 20 final decision to decertify reads. 

"The Respondent resigned from PPD on April 9, 2026, prior to the imposition of any discipline." 

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