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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Berkshire DA, Kids' Place Launch Internet Safety Programming

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire District Attorney's Office wants to break the silence about virtual child abuse that predators thrive on.

"Silence is the ally of an abuser," District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said.

On Tuesday, Shugrue and the Berkshire County Kids' Place & Violence Prevention Center detailed their newly created internet safety program that was softly rolled out in December.

"When I first took the office, I made a pledge that I wanted to reinstate youth programming, particularly school-based programs offered by the district attorney's office. Today, I'm proud to announce that I fulfilled that pledge," the DA said.

"The District Attorney's Office, in partnership with the Kids' Place, now offers internet safety education not just for children, but also for caregivers as well."

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Shugrue said his office sees an "astronomical" amount of child sex abuse cases that originate on or happen online. He put that down to the Berkshires not being silent when it comes to reporting abuse. 

"We have a lot of reporting of child abuse cases and we have a lot of follow-up with that," he said.

Heather Williamson, program director at Kids' Place, is often asked how to know which children are in danger. Her answer: "All of our kids are on the internet right now. They're all in danger of accessing people that have a harmful nature towards them."  

The educational program was developed by both agencies using the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's NetSmartz curriculum model. Two facilitators, one from the DA's Office and one from the Kids' Place, travel to schools to meet with students and caregivers across the county.

There will soon be billboards for public awareness.

"As technology rapidly evolves and internet access reaches new highs, our children face greater risks than ever before," Williamson said.

"As professionals, community members, and parents, it is our responsibility to educate, protect, and provide resources to keep children safe. While this topic isn't new, the threats facing children online are more serious than ever."

Other resources, such as Take It Down, a service that allows minors to get sexually explicit material taken off the internet, were highlighted. Shugrue emphasized that the program will hold presentations anywhere it is welcome.

"We would not let our children play outside without first teaching them how to stay safe and ensure that they are supervised. Therefore, we should not allow children to wander the digital world without first providing them with the education they need to stay safe and the supervision they deserve," he said.

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