PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday appointed new department heads and requested that community mobilization meetings be held to address recent gun violence. 

Mark Pompi was appointed director of Veterans Services, and Rian Dowd was as the new building commissioner. They will begin work on July 27. 

"She is going to be an extremely resident- and business-friendly building commissioner," Mayor Peter Marchetti said about Dowd. 

"… It was one of the questions in the interview: how do we get people to know that we have a friendlier environment? And she's already working on it." 

A petition from Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren and Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi requesting that 18 Degrees Inc. organize and host at least two community mobilization meetings was sent to the community-based organization. 

"The recent gun violence that occurred in the city has left many residents feeling concerned, and also like they would just like to have more information about what we, as a city, and our partner is doing to help interrupt gun violence," Lampiasi said. 

Last month, 29-year-old Pittsfield resident Justin Crawford was fatally shot near the intersection of Pleasure Avenue and Tyler Street. 

18 Degrees has received a total of $1,391,170 in grants from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Gun Violence Prevention Program since fiscal year 2019; $394,780 in FY23 for outreach and engagement with youth and young adults ages 17-24 who have been impacted by trauma and violence.