BCC to Host Q and A, Keynote Address with Law Enforcement Expert

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC)'s Department of Safety and Security, in conjunction with the Criminal Justice Department, will host a special Q & A forum with veteran law enforcement officer Dr. John M. Weinstein on Tuesday, April 9 at 12:45 pm. 
 
Later in the evening, Dr. Weinstein will deliver a keynote speech at 5 pm.  
 
Both events, which are free and open to the public, will be held on the main campus of BCC, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. The Q&A session will be held in Melville Hall, Room 317, and the keynote address will be held in Koussevitzky Arts Center, Room 111. 
 
During the forum, Dr. Weinstein will talk about the future of law enforcement and will: 
  • Identify emerging trends, such as accelerating immigration, technology and AI 
  • Discuss their implications for law enforcement (e.g., recruitment, regionalization) 
  • Explain obstacles to implementing innovative changes 
At 5 p.m., Dr. Weinstein will deliver a keynote address discussing situational awareness and how to teach people, "If you see something, say something." The speech will highlight ways to encourage people to report what they witness. 
 
Registration is required for each event. To register, visit https://www.berkshirecc.edu/news-events/2024/weinstein.php.
 
According to a press release: 
 
Dr. John Weinstein is veteran Virginia law enforcement officer and a certified instructor for firearms, active incident response, Crisis Intervention Team, and conflict avoidance and de-escalation. He currently serves as a deputy sheriff and directs firearms training at a police academy  
 
Before becoming a college police officer, he served as the Chief of Police, a town sergeant, a patrol officer and a deputy sheriff.  He is widely published, with articles on numerous police operational and administrative matters, and serves on both the advisory the editorial boards of Campus Safety magazine, the principal publication covering campus and institutional safety and security.  
 
Dr. Weinstein also enjoyed a long and successful career in the US Department of Defense. He was Chief of Assessments at the interagency US Nuclear Command and Control System
(NCCS) Support Staff (NSS), and was involved in most aspects of nuclear weapons policy, planning, assessment, and command and control for over 30 years.   
 
Prior to joining the NSS, Dr. Weinstein served as the Army Chief of Staff's strategic nuclear weapons advisor and Special Assistant for Requirements and Capabilities for the Navy's Director, Strategic and Theater Nuclear Warfare. He was also a US adjunct arms control inspector, monitoring treaty compliance in the Soviet Union.  
 
After earning a PhD in International Politics at the University of Florida in 1978, he held faculty teaching and research positions at five universities. With extensive military education, he has written more than 30 essays in books and journals on U.S. and Soviet/Russian military nuclear plans and capabilities 
 
Dr. Weinstein's awards include the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service; a Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service; the Department of Army Decoration for Meritorious Civilian Service; and two US Army War College awards for outstanding faculty publications. 

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Pittsfield Board of Health Wants to Mosquito Spray If Necessary

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Board of Health has endorsed a mosquito plan that includes adulticide spraying if necessary. It hopes to gain the City Council's support.

It was emphasized that spraying is for disease, not for nuisance.

"I think we have a really thoughtful plan and we've not decided as a community to become pesticide or herbicide free but we know for sure that there are services out there where those chemicals are being used. That is not this kind of program," Chair Bobbie Elliott said.

"This program, we don't want to have to use adulticide spray. We want to do everything else before we get to that point and the criteria are very strict with when we do that. We don't spray for nuisance."

Health officials have also noted the importance of offering spraying at the municipal level for equity, as many residents cannot afford to hire a private contractor.

Mosquito spraying has been a contentious issue for the last five years, with the City Council taking votes against it and residents polarized — some believing that the spray does more harm than good and others arguing that it is necessary.

After seven mosquitos tested positive for West Nile virus last summer, the board unsuccessfully requested that it be resumed. Parameters for spraying are based on risk levels assigned by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Two residents spoke against spraying during public comment, arguing that a small number of people have serious symptoms from mosquito-borne diseases and that adulticide applications will harm the environment.

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