‘PRESS CONFERENCE’-cum-COMMUNITY FREE-FOR-ALL HITS ITS MARK — WHATEVER THE MARK WAS
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2016) — By Pittsfield standards, the gathering yesterday at city hall hit its mark — whatever the mark might have been. Was it intended to be press conference? A community forum? A show of force? A message of solidarity? All of these?
The “Media Advisory” from the mayor’s office billed it as a “press conference.” It turned into a community free-for-all. In a phone interview last night, Mayor Linda Tyer told THE PLANET she was surprised that so many citizens showed up and regretted that they took over. Perhaps so, but if that’s the case, why did city workers deck council chambers in advance with overflow seating? There aren’t that many working press locally.
We Don’t Need The Great Gazoo
This leads to the key procedural point. If the object was also to directly engage the public, there should have been separate events on separate days. Event 1 would have been a true press conference — for working press only. This would have allowed all of us to ask as many questions as we wished, with followups. Instead, the media had to wait in line behind the queries or statements of concerned and not-so-concerned citizens, all well meaning but eating into the precious availability with their amateurism.
There were, for example, three citizens who read prepared statements for their embarrassing moment of “fame.” Donna Walto read some gibberish that might be summed up as, “Linda, where did my
The Great Gazoo, regrettably, was sighted at the ‘press conference.’
relevance disappear to?” Mary Ellen D’Agostino, calling to mind The Great Gazoo from The Flintstones cartoons, rambled about … who cares? We needn’t go further. Tyer and the others listened gamely.
A dedicated press conference would have prevented this nonsense. Here’s how to do it for the next time:
(1) Invite the press but embargo the time-date-place until the actual day.
(2) Conduct the event in a venue smaller and less accessible than council chambers, perhaps a conference room or even the corner office itself. This would allow tighter control over access and admission.
(2) Have a person at the door to admit working press only. All others would be turned away.
The press would then have full access with ample time for questions and followups.
Event 2 would be a “town hall” held on another night. This would have been the time for ordinary folks to show up with their questions and venting.
It’s Only Words
It was a gathering, surely. Chief Wynn speaks while Mayor Tyer, in red, looks on. And so do more than a dozen other officials and activists. They could have fielded a basketball team with a 13th and 14th man. (PHOTO: Screen grab from PCTV)
At the “press conference,” the right words were said, but then again, aren’t they always? Give Team Tyer credit for responding to THE PLANET‘s thundering response to their Facebook fantasy and getting the mayor out in front of the public, taking questions with the D.A. and police chief flanking. By inviting a dozen other community “leaders,” however, the gathering took on the trappings of a photo/film op. Mayor Tyer and Police chief Mike Wynn were the only ones to speak. The other dozen stood around behind badges and badgering, trying their best to look officious. THE PLANET understands the show of strength, but shouldn’t that be one of the allowable minimal assumptions? Shouldn’t we be able to assume all public officials and community activists agree that gunplay, drugs, gangs, and violence are out of control and the city should do something about it?
THE PLANET doesn’t doubt Tyer’s sincerity in telling us, “I have had enough. I am not going to stand down” in the face of the problem. She promised to make the bad actors “very uncomfortable.” Those remarks came from her long opening statement, which she read from a prepared script. We don’t have enough sense of her style as a speaker, but in the abstract, we generally advise speaking without notes. If one needs an outline, bullet points do better than word-for-word. Prepared words tend to “read” like words from a committee and come off stiffly and perfunctorily.
What was the assurance, for example, that these were Tyer’s words and not merely the words prepared for her to read? For example, did we need to hear again of “the excellent work of the Pittsfield Police Department?” What did we learn when she spoke once more of “youth initiatives” or of building “a collaborative team that is fully engaged” in the task. And don’t we all know by now that Pittsfield has Pittsfield Suns baseball, Shakespeare in the Park, and Live on the Lake? The mayor mentioned all three.
THE PLANET would have preferred a brief opening statement then a long period of media questions. This would have lessened the orchestration and satisfied the needs of the newshawks.
Tomorrow, we share more thoughts on this latest moment of truth for the city, including the mayor’s sending of an additional $936,000 to the police department in the FY’17 budget.
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“Even gang members imagine a future that doesn’t include gangs.” — Greg Boyle
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Throwing more money at and department, without performance standards, a capital plan, and staffing requirements is just wasted.
Amen Shakes.
We need bodies on the street to make life uncomfortable for everyone who does bad things. But as my Dad used to tell me “a fool with a plan out performs a genius without one every time”.
As SHH says, throwing a million bucks into the mix is just a recipe for more failure.
Why can’t we have a contingent of MSP and BCS officers patrolling the streets? Sherriff’s Officers actually know the players very well – since a large number of them were guests of the taxpayer at the Hotel Bowler (or HOC – Hotel on Cheshire Rd).
I do not think it’s the union making a stink. More cops are coming and the fact is – their union dues seem to evaporate anyway. But in the interim, why not use trained bodies who come with the added benefit of equipment that we can also plan to purchase (cruisers, guns, laptops, etc.). Those guys are union too, so it’s not like we are hiring scabs to cross a picket line. we are enlisting the forces of available, trained resources.
I think the “we can’t answer that question at this time” response is totally unacceptable. If you want my trust, tell me the truth. I get it that you can’t tell me how you deploy assets. I get it that you can’t tell me about investigations that are not complete (it’s already posted on FB by friends and family anyway) – but to not tell me that we WILL make use of locally available resources who are probably happy to contribute? Either thy aren’t willing to contribute the assets or the Command Staff at PPD doesn’t want them. Patrol officers patrol. They are stretched thin, so it’s doubtful they would not welcome the help. Command officers make decisions. This may be just another way we are being told that some part of this is a lack of resources, since well documented research shows appropriate staffing levels – and we clearly are under those levels. But more to the point, are the command staff at PPD capable of directing and leading those in their charge to do the right thing despite their diminished numbers?
We are not the poorest community in the State, we do not have the highest numbers in any category – yet at the moment we DO have an exploding violence problem. We cannot be the first or only community to be dealing with this. What are the others doing? Has it worked? What are the on-going needs to keep the problems from erupting later on as they have this year? You know if we arrest a lot of players in the next two weeks – they will be back on the streets in two weeks and one day, so we cannot arrest our way out of this problem unless the Judges cooperate and hold some without bail and impose long State Prison sentences on those convicted. that might encourage some of the folks who moved here for our jail to go to one of the other communities hosting a lovely MCI facility. I’d agree with paying the one way bus fares for families to be near their loved ones.
Summer is coming. The criminals are already here. The new cops won’t be here til fall. The only question I need to see answered is what do we do now and until the new cops are trained and useful?
Linda, we need to know. I know the cops out there work hard, but they are overwhelmed – and those community initiatives have made less impact then a nerf ball against an aircraft carrier. Jobs and in tact homes are the best social programs, so absent that – what is the plan?
southeast has expressed very well the issues, and I align myself with that. Pittsfield needs a new Police Chief. I will not criticize the request for more money, …it is needed to strengthen and support, but this Department is lacking the right leadership.
as long as it does not go for raises or overtime
until the new six get on board, OT is where it will go. We’re 35 or so officers down. At 100K per including bennies/payroll taxes/etc. $3 million is the amount needed to just staff this problem. then there are the 10 cruisers, the fuel, etc. We are looking at $4.5 million per year just to get staffing up.
that’s why I think we need an overhaul of the command staff. I don’t want to see shift commanders have the extra resources, and still be unable to being the problem under control.
The additional money is fine. I would even double it. The key to this, though, is to “balance the budget” as the mayor promised. This means subtracting a similar amount from the school department.
As a former city official, I know schools need funding. But that’s the point. We are funding them. What we cannot continue to fund is the excess overhead. The number of positions and salaries added over the past years is atrocious.
Cut $3 million from PSD. Give half to police and half to taxpayers.
“I do not think it’s the union making a stink.” Why do you think PPD will not wear body cams, and do you think for one minute they want to give up any penny of OT to MSP or SO patrols? The problems we see here now have been brewing since several Chiefs of Police ago and they all chose to ignore it, including our “acting chief”…They don’t need money, they need a complete overhaul.
The mayor, as so overtly and obviously trained and rehearsed, responded to a legitimate question from Donna Walto regarding an actual issue that did indeed happen. The police union did object to assistance from the sheriff after the unsolved 4th of July massacre. The mayor’s response was; “I can’t answer that”.
Contrary to any personal allegance to labor, the PPD unions have been an obstacle to many police strategies and initiatives. They seem to have lost sight of their oaths and are only interested in lining their pockets.
and if the revitalized local newspaper stops reporting gunshots it will look like things are getting better. Better yet, if these reports never make it out of the PD it will look like things are getting better. Kind of looks like much of this is already going on because lots of stuff that makes the Raids online site or that comes across the scanner is never mentioned in the paper..i.e. assaults, muggings and burglary’s
This site might want to start its own crime report section and compare it to what is released officially
Very satisfied how the Mayor resonded.Just hope its a full response till its done.This is why she was hired.Not to improve schools,but to build safe neiborhoods,while getting control of school dept.This mayor has a mandate and it not a dean of students or a 30,000 raise for Behnke .
Who says crime doesn’t pay,assume the position taxpayer.
Shakes said it all, short and sweet. How much of the 900 g is directed for o t ? Or should we say, redirected.
Attention Blight or Health Board. There is a Porch collapsed down on Onota Street.
blight is from a lack of investment in one’s own property. if it drags down values in a neighborhood, it gives these thugs a place to infest. Just like Giuliani’s approach to Policing, controlling blight is actually a less expensive way to combat crime. Neighborhoods that are well maintained are usually full of people who care. My elderly mother figures out how to keep her house painted, lawn cut, and flowers in bloom on less a social security and pension check totaling just under $1,000 a month – so it isn’t about spending gobs of cash to keep up your property.
And using CDBG for senior chore services and small loans/awards to homeowners in targeted neighborhoods is valuable for preventing blight. Strict enforcement rarely does more than tie up resources and frustrate everyone.
very true SHH – it’s better to work with someone than to tie them up so hard they just walk away, making the problem 50X harder to work solve.
http://www.egovlink.com/pittsfield/action.asp
A car crashed into the house, driver in hospital, a baby in the back seat, a four year old in front seat. No mention in newapapet of crash.
That porch was run into over the week end by a driver in a car. Made channel 6 news not BB
did they not know about it or were they told to hold the presses on it?
They could care less…Unless you see someone smoking on it!
I found not much information to the mayor press conference other than more officers in the feature what is going to be done right know was unclear. New officers will take time to gain the experience they need. I believe a change in leadership is needed.
At least she is on top of basketball.
Hey Dude,the playoffs are on.
Health board plays huge role in targeting addresses, also sub housing where dealer lives with girlfriend
Shakes his Head nailed it once again, One would think that throwing more money down, would solve the problem but actually, it’s the exact opposite response that is needed. “Learn from others whom have walked the path before you, but be smart enough to know when to cut your own trail.“
At least Tyer is trying to do something about the violent crime, unlike her 2 predecessors. And yes, more police do cost more money – do you think you can hire them all for free? There is one statement that bothered me because it looks like the groundwork to give the police big raises: “We have also attempted to recruit veteran officers from communities nearby but we are stymied by our too low compensation,” Tyer said. I suspect compensation had little to do with other offices not wanting to come here. I am sure they just don’t want to work or move to Pittsfield, it’s too dangerous here. Those small town gigs are pretty nice. Who’d want to leave that?
Throwing money at the problem is not the answer. Work with State Police and Berkshire County task force to make raids on the gang bangers. Get State Legislators to pass mandatory sentences, seeing judges aren’t responsible enough.Could have a Fire station every other block, still would be fires and death.
Opiate addicted white kids are the problem, remove the customers.
and that is the truth. I work a lot in Lenox and Lee and know about 18 kids all from good homes (some from prominent homes) who are addicted and cannot shake the habit. I think you die from it. Narcan is just a stop gap til the real OD occurs.
Any money needed to beef up the PPD should be deducted from the school budget. Plain and simple. We need all these assistants to the assistants, etc. like a hole in the head!
Something is obviously wrong with our school system when parents are opting to send their kids out of town. Adding more unnecessary positions at ridiculously high salaries is hardly solving the problem.
But, of course, none of that will happen. As usual, we taxpayers will pay the bill …… along with the cost of THS.
Get the feeling “we can’t win”?
Maybe Mr Stanley would be willing to forgo his nonsensical tax break and this money could go toward real needs like police protection. He might benefit more from having a safe environment outside his establishment.
by the way….huge crowds at the mall movie theaters last weekend
After hearing Mayor Tyraid, I’m convinced, the City Council will appropriate the 900 and not take anything away from the Schools.
that will just bring the failed override vote and receivership that much closer
Dusty, I’m thinking a collaborative effort by Stanley, whereby criminals get to come into the City, see a Movie free of charge with the requirement that they be frisked at the door of the Beacon.
I’m gonna guess the word free is not in his dictionary
The tif for Stanley is ridiculous, the taxpayer gets absolutely o from this, he sticks his hand out, must be a Ruffer Roberto back room deal, that sealed this gift.
School department s assistant superintendent s just cut custodial overtime to save money but then added way more money in custodial line item for overtime…they HIDE money in line items..mr joe curtis,mrs christine behnke are playing games with the city councilors….dont be afraid of offending budget directors….explain to schools that taxpayers do without and they will do without…….a couple of councilors will use the word COURAGE in voting for schools budget
The lovely Linda Tyer will propose her first municipal budget next week. I predict another about 5% tax increase for Pittsfield politics. Pittsfield is plagued by violent crimes and high taxes!
I hope the lovely Linda proves me wrong!
Maybe she will propose an economical budget that will spare the average local taxpayer this time around?
Krol will ask if the budget can be doubled it is the right thing to do If seniors can not handle it perhaps they should just go away
And where should we go Dusty what is wrong with you? Hoping I misunderstood your comment
We should just go away and stop being a burden to Pittsfield. If we left, the city could replace us fixed income folk with upper income sorts who can afford the escalating taxes. We need to think about the city and not ourselves. I am going to pack right now and just do the right thing so that the city (and Beacon theater) can move forward.
Dusty your comment ignorant. What the hell is wrong with you?
Linda Tyer knows who elected her and it was not the school teachers
Whatever she’s allowed is what the tax rate will go.
Do you think the sigs care if their taxes are raised, they just got a raise.
Southeast,
You’re not down 35 officers that’s a lie and you don’t need $100,000 for each officer – another lie. Jeepers, if they are paid so little why do you need $100,000? It is more like $50,000 and you don’t need 10 more cruisers. How about the cops ride together like back in the 60’s?
You could hire 10 cops for $500,000 and get the money from the school budget, the downtown inc money, and the budget for that mayor’s admin services position.
When the Gazette used to publish to highest city salaries there were always many from ppd topping $100K a year. Many.
Hell, why don’t they ride horses and collect fines on the spot in sterling pounds, just like they did in the 1750’s? Maybe they can just hand write reports on carbon copies?
The cruisers get replaced on a cycle, but there is asset forfeiture funding that has limitations on eligible expenses, generally equipment. Other than the occasional bike patrol or foot beat on North Street and maybe over to the Common, there will not be officers without vehicles.
An employee typically costs about 2X their wage. A cop costs about $40K in wages and health insurance is about $12K, Pension is about $4,500, workers comp about the same, time off for training and court, etc is about $12K. I’m sure I forgot something – but $73K is still a pretty accurate cost to keep a cop. They don’t and won’t ride together because it seems like the model is to put a bunch of cruisers out there and when the situation warrants, send two or three.
Enough studies show that cities in the mid 40,000s have about 120 cops. that allows for adequate command staff and patrol officers to handle all the calls in a timely fashion.
Michigan State University did a study in 2012 and found the Northeast operated with 2.6 officers per thousand people. That puts Pittsfield at needing 114.4, or 115 people. 120 is close to that and we currently have 82. A lot of communities operate with 1.6 or 1.7 – and if you look at the list of the communities, they have a lot in common with Pittsfield’s current situation.
We have lost 10% of our school population yet we have more school employees. We have gained a more low income, needy population and crime has escalated – I would rather be over patrolled and see classrooms have another 1-2 kids per class.
Wake up and smell the coffee folks. The mayor fell for the Dan Slam by holding the “press conference” but really, there is nothing new there – she campaigned on the need for 17 new cops, and so she is budgeting for 6. It is not a big deal, and this has been her plan for months and would have been unveiled next week regardless of the latest gunfight at the ok carroll. The Dan Slam just allowed her to get some press for what she was planning to do anyway. And why no mention of her million dollar youth violence crime prevention plan she campaigned on? Why was she not questioned on that? That and how she is going to pay for the million dollar baby are the big questions she in not answering. Can anybody say TAX INCREASE
And by the way, if you think that the shootings would not have happened if the police were fully staffed, you are sadly mistaken folks. Look at root causes – liberal politicians like Faraway Farley and For it All Deval who gutted the mandatory minimum sentences. Loads of section 8 housing and welfare rats breeding like rabbits. The “let’s feel sorry for the drug dealers and let them out of jail” philosphy along with the black lies matter bs and the war on police.
How many subsided housing units in the city? Are there families from out of town on the wait list? How many section 8 vouchers are given out for this city? How does a landlord become eligible? How much does the government pay in rent?
Driver’s licenses for illegals anyone. It’s a miracle a cop hasn’t been shot yet with all the scumbags in this city, and yet the town father’s fiddled while the city sunk. You can close the barn door now, but the cows have already left the barn. At this point, you are just sticking your finger in the dyke.
Nice post SGH.
Your smelling the coffee sistergoldenhair ! That’s the crux of the
matter.
How many times must police respond to a specific individual/ individuals before they realize the taxpayer might need urgent help at some time during one of these call after calls, year after years, also, some individuals over 100 times, 100.
First you cut the schools then you cut the school to get the million…..if not lindas out of work.Tricia Farley Bouvier photo bombs everything,she needs a friend to tell her she looks ignorant showing up at everything, people hate this stuff…..Tricia I think your smarter than this
Keep in mind that the addicts aren’t usually the ones doing the shootings. They may break into your house or car or shoplift, but they are not the ones doing the shooting. The shootings are 99.9999% the gangs whoever they may be.
Before we get more cops I’d like to see the logbook for a whole year.
go online- the call logs are there
Now that speech right there in front of the Council by 1 Berkshire Butler in favor of the Beacon tax exemption is a crock of shit.
Rejection of Grant for lights at intersection of Woodlawn Avenue will go to Plan B. …….. Plan B?
Oh we will figure that out later…….
Corydon is on the job,spa.
It is time to say NO to Downtown Inc. This is one I am Firmly Against.
The chief said he has been working on the gan problem for over 8 years and we still have the problem so what makes anyone think he can solve the rest of the problems in Pittsfield.
New leadership is needed in the Police Dept
Big Pappy is back on steroids.
I’d make a damn good city councilor. I would not hesitate to vote against D Inc and Beacon. The reason would be the easiest vote i’d ever take. These tow entities do not need public funding.
It’s two mi, so their!
Does anybody ever wonder what the personel finances of the school committee are or for that matter the city council …..
Southeast,
Here is a link to the study you reference:
http://a-capp.msu.edu/sites/default/files/files/041218461_Performance_Based_Approach_Police_Staffing_FINAL100112.pdf
This study states that the average for a city the size of Pittsfield is 1.8 per thousand. Your figure includes big cities in the northeast. Show us a study showing cities Pittsfields’ size have 120 cops, if they are not next to big cities. By your logic, all the towns in the county are woefully understaffed.
The city does not budget for retirement, workman comp, etc. Salary is the only thing, besides health insurance, to budget for. More cops should reduce, not increase overtime. I bet the $50,000 figure is more accurate.
The cops should not decide if they are doubled up in a cruiser. That is a management prerogative. You don’t let the tail wag the dog.
I would rather be over patrolled too, but I also would rather not be overtaxed, year after year. Just don’t want to throw money away. More cops may help, and I agree we need more, but it sure aint gonna solve Pittsfield’s crime problem.
Remember, Bianchi gave us a crime analyst and an administrative cop,and those 2 positions were deemed more important than real cops. How’s that working out for us? Was it worth it?
http://a-capp.msu.edu/sites/default/files/files/041218461_Performance_Based_Approach_Police_Staffing_FINAL100112.pdf
The new name for the Pablum Puker is Pete the Puker!
One thing I will say about the Theatre’s. The Regal has way better popcorn.
This Stanley is laughing at us he doesn’t need a nickel. You Councilors don’t have a clue.
The PPD would have to invite the Sherriff s deputies to patrol or assist in Pittsfield. I’m not sure if that works the same for the state police. I would imagine it would have to be in writing from both the Mayor and PC. the sheriffs department was, a few years ago asked to have 1 deputy in a cruiser with the ppd officers but the union went bonkers cuz it would take away OT for their members.