PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Pomeroy Avenue resident said he often sees drug activity outside of his house. He's called the police but nothing seems to happen, so he just stopped trying.

 

"I don't call up because it is a waste of time. We have a lot of drug activity and we call and nothing came of it," he said.

 

On Sunday afternoon, a shooting took place right at the end of his driveway. He tries to do what he can but feels nothing ever happens.

 

On Reed Street, a resident sees the same type of drug activity outside of the home where he raises his son. A Bartlett Avenue resident said she is intimidated by the people walking by her house, even though they aren't breaking the law. 

 

But police are urging residents to keep calling. That report of a suspicious vehicle or person being in a certain location could be the one piece of a puzzle that breaks a case wide open when combined with other reported information. All of those pieces of information together can lead to a successful arrest.

 

"There is no bad information. Something you know may be the one piece of information that breaks a case," Police Chief Michael Wynn told more than 100 people gathered at the senior center on Thursday morning to discuss the recent wave of crime happening in the city. "We'll take information any way. Don't try to determine if it is worthwhile for us."

 

Wynn said there are a number of ways residents can report activity — through a tips phone line, Facebook, calling the department — and every piece of information is stored, adding to the puzzle pieces officers and detectives use to put together arrest warrants.

 

"It doesn't help you [immediately] if you are living in a drug impacted neighborhood because it takes time," Wynn said.

 

The meeting was organized by Ward 5 Councilor Donna Todd Rivers and Ward 4 Councilor Christopher Connell. The Police Department sent five staff members, including the chief, to help guide residents as to what they can do to protect themselves and fight criminal activity.

 

"This is more than I expected," Rivers said following the meeting. "I'm impressed with how committed our community is."

 

 

The common theme throughout the meeting was "see something, say something." Sgt. Mark Trapani said some shootings have not been reported until the next day when the homeowner, whose house was riddled with bullets, reported it. 

 

"The time to really get involved in an incident is right when it occurs," he said.

 

Wynn said the recent incidents "appear to be gang related." However, the victims are not cooperating making it difficult for officers to work the case. 

 

"We have gangs in Pittsfield. It is not something we are keeping a secret," Wynn said. 

 

Gang activity in Pittsfield has proven to be a way for those from impoverished families to make money. Wynn said the gang activity is a "homegrown issue" and not a case of outsiders coming in. Nearly all of the known gang associates either live here or have connections here, he said.

 

Gangs are a community issue and needs to be addressed through a number of ways. The Pittsfield Community Connection program has two grants to combat youth violence. The Charles E. Shannon Grant provides funding for a mentoring, outreach and prevention program intended to "show these kids a better way," according to PCC Executive Director Jon Schnauber. That program is eyed for youth between the ages 10 and 17. The city also has 10 years of grants through the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative that focuses on connecting those in their early 20s who are proven risks with social services, jobs, and education to help them change their lives.

 

Superintendent of Schools Jason McCandless said the school system has teams of professionals who can tell a child is at-risk for eventually falling into illegal activity when they are as young as 3 or 4. The teams work throughout the student's time to help prevent that outcome.

 

"The best guardian against negative outcomes as an adult is to stack positive upon positive when they are young," McCandless said.

 

But the community can do more. 

 

As vice president of the Babe Ruth Baseball League, Steve White initiated a "no cut policy" in which every child plays. He suggested such a thing be expanded to the entire city to give the city's youth an alternative activity. Wynn agreed that helping youth find alternative activities can go a long way in helping prevent crime in the end. He said in some areas of the city, the youth aren't playing sports because of lack of transportation or the ability to afford the equipment.

 

"There are definitely pockets in this community that don't get to play," Wynn said.

 

Others called for increased volunteer efforts at organizations like 4H, the Boy Scouts and YMCA, others for increased communication from the Police Department about issues.

 

Another resident suggested that neighbors should call landlords of places where known illegal activity is happening and "make it uncomfortable for a landlord to continue to rent to these people." Evictions in Massachusetts can be a cumbersome task, Wynn said, but there are certainly cases in which landlords need to accept responsibility for their properties. Rivers said she is going to start forming neighborhood watches in her ward. 

 

But, maybe more importantly, Rivers promised to vote on a city budget that will raise staffing levels in the Police Department — a promise that was greeted with applause from those in attendance. 

 

According to Wynn, the force is approved to have 91 officers but through a number of vacancies, injuries, and other reasons, the actual staffing level is 82. By mid-summer "that number could dip into the 70s." Wynn said the staffing required to patrol some 42 square miles with 44,000 residents plus those who come into the city from surrounding areas is between 110 and 120.

 

"We've been advocating for that staffing for a decade," Wynn said.

 

When asked about help from other organizations like the Massachusetts State Police and the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office, Wynn said the sheriff does not have road patrols to assist and state police have limited staffing and a large territory to cover — much of which doesn't have a strong police presence. He said last spring the state police put together a team to assist in Pittsfield and in North Adams but because of staffing levels, it has has been suspended until another round of recruits finish the academy.

 

The meeting was well attended by members of the community as well as elected and other officials. Those in attendance included School Committee member Cynthia Taylor, Director of Administrative Services in the mayor's office Roberta McCulloch-Dews, City Councilors Peter White and Anthony Simonelli, and representatives from an array of community organizations such as Downtown Pittsfield Inc., the Pittsfield Community Connection, 4H and the Christian Center. Rivers said yet another meeting is planned to continue the discussion.

 

While there are certainly issues of crime in Pittsfield, Police Lt. Michael Maddalena ended the meeting by speaking to the residents not as an officer, but as a father. He said his high-school age daughter is a runner and he has not once asked her to avoid certain areas. Crime in the city hasn't reach that point where there is significant safety concerns for the average citizen. 

 

"If it were, I'd say something," Maddalena.