Lanesborough Police Implementing Body Cameras with State Grant

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town's police will join several other Berkshire communities using body cameras.

On Monday, Police Chief Robert Derksen told the Select Board that the department received a nearly $40,000 grant for the initial purchase and implementation of the surveillance devices.

"The money we were awarded will cover the program but obviously moving forward next budget year and beyond, there is going to be software and storage fees, things like that," he said.

The town will be looking at roughly $3,500 yearly for software storage, though estimates are still being collected. The grant covers the initial purchase and first year of body cameras.

To answer calls for law enforcement accountability and transparency, other county communities such as Dalton, Great Barrington, North Adams and Pittsfield have implemented body-worn camera programs and Adams is preparing to. Police chiefs have said the cameras also aid the officers when working with the public.

The $39,700 award was a part of the Healey-Driscoll administration's $3.6 million package to 52 local police departments for body-worn camera programs. The Adams Police Department received more than $110,400 in this round, the Hinsdale Police Department over $52,600, and the North Adams Police Department over $21,000.

The Law Enforcement Body-Worn Camera Program is in its third year and awarded $3.6 million to municipal police agencies during fiscal 2024.

The grant requires the Select Board to engage the police union to determine if there will be any additional compensation or conditions for the body camera program. 

Selectman Timothy Sorrell, former police chief, commented that this will hopefully save money on civil lawsuits and asked if there are any grant opportunities to pay for storage costs. Derksen did apply for a federal grant through the Department of Justice, though he hasn't received an answer on it.


The chief is not worried about the cost because the $40,000 will surely cover the purchase of the equipment.

He is looking into a five-year program for the cameras that replaces them once during the duration, meaning that they should be in good shape during that period.  

A two-hour training will be required this year and could lead to a discount on the department's insurance.

During the meeting, the resignation of part-time police officer Joshua Tracy was announced, as Tracy took a full-time job with the town of Lee. The department is now down to three part-time officers, all three of whom are Cheshire officers.

Derksen said he would support a pitch to residents during the next budget cycle to see if they would authorize additional full-time officers. He pointed out that the department was once authorized for 10 part-time officers.
 


Tags: body cameras,   police,   

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Letter: Is the Select Board Listening to Dalton Voters?

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

A reasonable expectation by the people of a community is that their Select Board rises above personal preference and represents the collective interests of the community. On Tuesday night [Nov. 12], what occurred is reason for concern that might not be true in Dalton.

This all began when a Select Board member submitted his resignation effective Oct. 1 to the Town Clerk. Wishing to fill the vacated Select Board seat, in good faith I followed the state law, prepared a petition, and collected the required 200-plus signatures of which the Town Clerk certified 223. The Town Manager, who already had a copy of the Select Board member's resignation, was notified of the certified petitions the following day. All required steps had been completed.

Or had they? At the Oct. 9 Select Board meeting when Board members discussed the submitted petition, there was no mention about how they were informed of the petition or that they had not seen the resignation letter. Then a month later at the Nov. 12 Select Board meeting we learn that providing the resignation letter and certified petitions to the Town Manager was insufficient. However, by informing the Town Manager back in October the Select Board had been informed. Thus, the contentions raised at the Nov. 12 meeting by John Boyle seem like a thinly veiled attempt to delay a decision until the end of January deadline to have a special election has passed.

If this is happening with the Special Election, can we realistically hope that the present Board will listen to the call by residents to halt the rapid increases in spending and our taxes that have been occurring the last few years and pass a level-funded budget for next year, or to not harness the taxpayers in town with the majority of the cost for a new police station? I am sure these issues are of concern to many in town. However, to make a change many people need to speak up.

Please reach out to a Select Board member and let them know you are concerned and want the Special Election issue addressed and finalized at their Nov. 25 meeting.

Robert E.W. Collins
Dalton, Mass.

 

 

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