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

Print Story | Email Story
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. 

Tags: BCC,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Adopts Surveillance Tech Oversight Ordinance

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— After two years of preparation, the City Council has adopted a surveillance technology ordinance regarding police body cameras and other equipment.

On Tuesday, a petition from Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren amending the City Code by adding Chapter 18 ½, Surveillance Technology Oversight, was approved.  Warren has championed this effort since 2022— before a five-year contract with body and dash cams was approved.

The ordinance will take effect 180 days after its adoption.

It is based on the Town of Amherst's modified version of the City of Cambridge Ordinance that uses an American Civil Liberties Union model for community control surveillance technology.

"This has been an issue that lots of communities have been looking at, both in Massachusetts and outside of Massachusetts, dealing with software that has some surveillance capability that could possibly have some negative impact on our citizens," Warren said.

The purpose of the ordinance is to provide regulations for surveillance technology acquisition, use by the city, or the use of the surveillance data it provides to safeguard the right of individuals' privacy balanced with the need to promote and provide safety and security.  

It aims to avoid marginalized communities being disproportionately affected by the use of this technology.  Warren would not be surprised if this were encompassed in a statue for statewide standards.

"Police body cameras have the potential to serve as a much-needed police oversight tool at a time of a growing recognition that the United States has a real problem with police violence. But if the technology is to be effective at providing oversight, reducing police abuses, and increasing community trust, it is vital that they be deployed with good policies to ensure they accomplish those goals," the ACLU explains on its website.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories