Man Charged with Drug Distribution, Illegal Firearm in Pittsfield

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Monday, Jan. 29, Charles Crosby, age 36, was arraigned in Berkshire District Court on the following charges:
 
  • Trafficking of 18 grams less than 36 grams of Heroin / Morphine / Opium
  • Drug Possession with Intent to Distribute Class B Substance
  • Drug Possession of a Class B Substance
  • Drug Possession to Distribute a Class E Substance
  • Possession of Firearm During a Felony
  • Possession of Ammunition Without an FID card
  • Possession of a Large Capacity Firearm
  • Possession of a Large Capacity Firearm without a license
  • Assault and Battery on a Police officer
  • Assault and Battery with attempt to Disarm a Police Officer
  • Resisting arrest
  • Distribution a Class B Substance
 
Crosby is being held pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled to take place on Feb. 5 in Central Berkshire District Court. Additionally, the Commonwealth has moved to revoke bail on a Hampden Superior Court Case stemming from an incident in September, 2020. The incident also involved possession of illegal firearms and large quantities of heroin and cocaine.
 
According to a report from the district attorney's office, on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, Pittsfield Police discovered an person, later identified as Charles Crosby, lying in the road on Bradford Street in Pittsfield. EMS were dispatched to the scene.
 
Upon approaching Crosby, law enforcement observed an open backpack near his person.  A baggie of white, rectangular pills were seen in the backpack in plain sight. When law enforcement approached, Crosby rose to his feet and grabbed the shirt of one of the responding officers. A struggled ensued and a second officer ran to the scene, simultaneously calling dispatch to request back up. As the second officer approached, he observed a tan semi-automatic handgun tucked into the rear waistband of Crosby's pants. The second officer was able to secure the firearm while the struggle between law enforcement and Crosby continued.
 
Law enforcement announced that if Crosby did not comply with police a taser would be use. Crosby continued to struggle. At this time one of the officers tased Crosby in the back initiating a five second drive stun. Crosby then taken into law enforcement custody and transferred to Berkshire Medical Center for an assessment. Following the assessment, Crosby was transported to the Pittsfield Police Station.
 
Law enforcement recovered the following items:
  • Approximately 173 bundles (total weight approximately 34.6 grams) of heroin valued at approximately $6920 - $10,380
  • $1,531 Cash
  • Two cellphones
  • Unregistered Glock 23 Semi-automatic handgun loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition
  • Magazine with 10 round capacity
  • Ammunition loader
  • 26 rounds of .40 caliber
  • One bag containing 146 Adderall pills with a street value of approximately $4,380.
  • One bag containing white pills suspected as Xanax (approximate total weight of 393 grams)
  • One bag containing yellow pills suspected as Xanax (approximate total weight of 514 grams)
  • Small amount of crack cocaine and a crack pipe
 
Pittsfield Police and the Berkshire County Drug Task force are the lead law enforcement in the case.

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Berkshire United Way to Massachusetts: Early-Learning Educators Need Better Wages

By Katherine von Haefen Guest Column
As reported in iBerkshires, state education officials met with Western Massachusetts childcare and early education advocates at Berkshire Community College recently. I had the opportunity to share the following testimony on behalf of Berkshire United Way and our community partners. 
 
Early childhood education provides tremendous benefits to our region. High-quality child care dramatically influences brain development and the future health and success for children in school and life, as well as provides a safe and secure space for our youngest community members so their parents or caregivers can work and provide for their families. 
 
Berkshire United Way has invested in improving early childhood development opportunities in the Berkshires for decades. We fund high-quality nonprofit child-care centers that provide slots for income-constrained families. We also support the sector by co-hosting monthly child-care director meetings to work on shared challenges and collectively propose solutions. We advocate for early childhood education and have a great partner in this work, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier. 
 
Staffing is a key component of high-quality care. The research shows that skilled and consistent educators in a classroom create long-lasting change for children. However, wages are stagnant and frequently do not provide educators with basic financial stability. We often hear that educators have left the field because they are unable to make their finances work. Wages need to improve to better reflect the expertise and indelible impact teachers have in the field. 
 
When we look specifically at our region, our data is concerning. 
 
As Berkshire County emerges from the pandemic, we are struggling with transportation, affordable housing and lack of mental health resources, much like the rest of the state. We are also seeing a rise in economically challenged households. 
 
After nearly 10 years of decline, Berkshire County has experienced a significant jump in income inequality, now exceeding the state and national trends and far above comparable counties, according to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Over half of our population are "economically challenged," meaning they are working but struggling to make ends meet. A single parent with a school-aged child needs between $70,000 and $80,000 in income and public benefits just to meet their basic needs. 
 
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