POLICE ADVISORY REVIEW BOARD (PARB) ADOPTS STATE REGS THAT TIE HANDS OF COPS … plus … ARE THEY RACIST?
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
Part 1 of 2
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE WEST, WEDNESDAY FEB. 24, 2021) — You may have missed it while you were in hospital for removal of tire tracks on your backside from the Tyer Administration’s bond-refinancing bus that ran over you (see THE PLANET‘s previous column).
The Police Advisory Review Board (PARB) issued a report last week.
If you know about it, no doubt word of it came via local lame-stream media, which told you that the new law would cure COVID-19, square the circle, and make white lions lie peacefully with black lambs. One thing you can be sure of with local media outside of THE PLANET: Whenever they play up some touted official city news or pronouncements, they will match the city itself for the level of propagandistic enthusiasm. It is no longer in their genes to dig beneath the press releases.
Are you sitting down? It’s Panacea Time! Doctor, strike up the band and give us a few bars of “The Night They Invented Champagne!”
Seat belts fastened? Harnesses in place? Helmets secured?
We ask because the “reforms” suggested by the apparatchiks on the PARB will increase crime, lower personal responsibility, and put more pressure on local cops. What was once a doable job for people looking at a fulfilling career in law enforcement for a model small city has become a nightmare task made that way by woke politicians and community “activists” whose hands-off policy on crime has turned Pittsfield into an embarrassment.
You think crime is out of hand now? Once the new regs take effect, Pittsfield’s current crime wave will resemble not “The Untouchables” by “Hippity Hop to the Barber Shop.”
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Before THE PLANET presents the full text of the PARB statement, we list the members, the authors of this dreadful document:
- Ellen Maxon, chair
- Mike Feldberg, vice chair
- Bruce Stump
- Drew Herzig
- Rev. Sloan Letman IV
- Re[v? … city website lists the title as “Re”] Sheila Sholes-Ross
- Ivan Victoriano-Fortes
- Erin Sullivan
- Alf Barbalunga
- Lynn Wallace
- John Quinn
There is one vacant seat. It might be that Vincent Price or Claude Rains holds that seat. We don’t know, but it being vacant, we can declare it to be the most enlightened, “progressive,” and reasonable place on the PARB. Think what could be done in the name of social progress if every seat on this board were held by “Vacant.”
Here’s the full text. We shall let you read it, digest it, and comment upon it as you wish before we present THE PLANET‘s analysis. That shall be in the Weekend Edition.
A full critique of this review would fill the Berkshire Athenaeum. The city would then have to issue $28 million in new bonds to build an Athenaeum addition. THE PLANET can only highlight the lowlights. In our report, we hope to include confidential statements from members of Berkshire County’s criminal justice community: Pittsfield Police Department, the courts, attorneys, and the D.A.’s office.
Preview: Local cops are both angry and worried. Their jobs just got much tougher, they feel toothless, and public safety has been greatly compromised.
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“All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they’ll do practically anything you want them to” — Writer J.D. Salinger.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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In the olden days, one would have to go to the library to research their community’s public safety and other information, but now all one has to do is “Google” is Pittsfield Massachusetts a safe community? The answer is HELL NO! The FBI always lists Pittsfield as one of the top 10 cities in Massachusetts for violent crime every year. Pittsfield attracts criminals instead of working families. Pittsfield is one of the top communities in the state and nation for teen pregnancies and welfare caseloads. North Street is sarcastically called “Social Services Alley” during business hours. After hours, downtown or inner-city Pittsfield is a place most people avoid for their own personal safety. Pittsfield’s inner-city public schools are rated level 5, which is the worst possible rating by the state government. Pittsfield loses millions of dollars in public education funding because hundreds of children choice out to neighboring public school districts. Pittsfield is exhibited as “A City in Decay” in large photographs by Gregory Crewdson in upscale art galleries and museums in London, NYC, and L.A. The Mayor of Pittsfield – the lovely Linda Tyer – and her millionaire accountant husband Barry Clairmont live in a wealthy gated community near Hancock. What does that tell you? It tells me that the lovely Linda and millionaire husband Barry don’t want to live near the poor neighborhoods that encircle downtown Pittsfield. In closing, if there were a textbook on a post industrial city that has no bottom, it would be called “Pittsfield Massachusetts”!
Well said! However where the mayor lives doesn’t mean much. If I had the money, if I was mayor or not, I wouldn’t live downtown either. That’s like you saying (the guy who moved away) I’m going to go live on linden st even though I can afford to live on Mountain Drive.
What it means is that with her tight connections to real time not ommitted police reports she knows that the farther away you are from North street the better. Curiously however, there are tax breaks to those building living quarters in the center of the city and nearby. Prosspective tenants come in unaware of the environment they seek to live.
The lovely Linda Tyer doesn’t live in the ring of poverty and crime around North Street because she knows better than to put herself in a bad or dangerous situation where she would be unsafe. But for the Mayor of Pittsfield to live in a wealthy gated community a few feet from Hancock sends a message that she is better than the majority of people she serves in City Hall. Matt Kerwood is building his +$10 million slush fund – that should be in the pockets of the proverbial Kapanski family – by paying mostly interest on Pittsfield’s huge debts and liabilities that totals hundreds of millions of dollars. I could do the same thing as Matt Kerwood if I borrowed a large sum of money and then paid mostly interest on my debts and liabilities so that I could build a large slush fund for myself. It would be foolish for me to say I have a big slush fund when I am deferring the principal payments on my huge debts and liabilities decades into the future. But in Matt Kerwood’s case, he will be long retired and collecting his big city pension (or a memory we all would like to forget) by the time Pittsfield politics starts paying down the principal on its large debt load. Perhaps U.S. Congress and Prez Joe Biden will provide a generous bailout stimulus package soon for the lovely Linda and Kufflinks Kerwood? If so, then the lovely Linda can finally achieve her goal of financial stabilization of Pittsfield politics instead of using Matt Kerwood’s phony creative accounting schemes that everyone writes about.
One question, can we still stand on able bodied, white, Americans?
Same Police and Prosecutors violated my rights and fabricated evidence to get the conviction. Look at Casey’s cell mate, there’s the answer. Capeless Pieropan should be in prison. How many others are there.
Leo, you have know idea just Sickening to say the least.
Retraining police is always a good thing.Poverty is what brings crime.Over policing is a problem. Sentencing violent offenders is a problem.Why is an offender on the street commitng his 3rd violent offense at age 24.This pleading crimes down the 1st offense is understandable but no way on the 2nd offense……Our mayor and Kerwood should be cutting our taxes.It makes me sick that the only people they associate with are people who can afford 200 dollar rise in taxes……Close Pittsfield High and save 3million per year……The bike lines on Elm street have not been painted so please dont add any lines until you paint the lines you have.Start sweeping streets when the snow melts.Put speed bumps on North street……
Lots of issues cause crime, but Pittsfield is a poor community so police are needed here, but they are needed in all communities. Crime happens in wealthy neighborhoods too. The defund the police movement is dangerous and stupid.
Authorities use to put people, even young ones, in jail for two years mandatory for selling pot. Now politicians have the largest stakehold on the cannabis market. Sometimes the tail wags the dog, especially if there is money involved.
True. Politicians are pushing pot while at the same time removing children from young adults who are using the very substance they are pushing on the public. Babies have been born with pot in their system from their mothers and that is one strike against the parent. One more violation and they are removed and put into foster care and eventually up for adoption. How exactly does this strengthen families?
Little 3 year old Victoria Rose Smith was taken from her mother and put up for adoption where she was eventually beaten and murdered by her foster parents. It all spiraled out of control when little Victoria was removed from her biological mother because she had pot in her system when she was born because her mother used pot. Pot use is now like smoking cigarettes thanks to government pushing it on the public.
https://www.fitsnews.com/2021/01/27/biological-mother-of-sc-3-year-old-who-was-killed-i-trusted-scdss-and-they-failed/
What’s stupid is not having an intelligent conversation as to the many reasons why it should happen. The idea that the police should be defunded merely because BLM said so, yeah, that’s stupid. If the police are not doing what they are supposed to do, or, if collectively they have adopted the idea that they are in charge, which is arguably the case, then it’s time to let them know that they’re wrong.
Almost every cop abuse we see on video the police have the person in control.The kkk white supremacist have been recruiting white cops all over this country to abuse minorities. It is a big problem and police need training.
You’re full of shit pal
I don’t know anything about kkk white supremists. I myself don’t know anyone personally who is racist. As far as I’m concerned the problem is not racism, it’s ignorance, and the ignorance is not confined in a meaningful way. In my opinion, the cops should have authority only for the purpose of dealing with situations where someone is harmed. And when the harm is incurred at the hands of the cops as a result of what reasonable people could argue amounts to human rights violations, then the cops needs to be held accountable as well. Police reform needs to be focused on reeling in the cops when it comes to enforcing statutes. The good grace of the people is what is meant by “consent of the governed”. The system is built upon the house of assumptions and the willingness to resort to violence for those who challenge those assumptions. Time to do away with this sort of paradigm as it has led to the cops becoming useful idiots at the beckon call of multi national corporations.
You are right about people of wealth commit crimes.They buy drugs and drive drunk on wine and scotch.
Why should the cops have teeth? It’s not as if there’s a legitimate underlying mechanism that would enable them, right? If there was, would it be the notion that we live in a constitutional republic? Since we don’t, then what? What’s the underlying support? Is it just because it sounds like a good idea? There’s a philosophical argument in favor of giving them teeth, and there’s also a philosophical argument against it. Without the constitutional republic in effect, it’s looking like the teeth are a bad idea. Want to argue it?
Anybody who ever needed the police for any reason is really glad they were there.
Thanks for describing it as needed.Nobody sees this as a problem Pat.The problem is abuse.
Not racist. Racism is a scapegoat for straight up corruption.
Race Baiting, White Privilege, White Guilt. All avant garde buzz words, that will slowly fade like MADD,sexual harassment, and many more that have morphed into cliches. Morgan Freeman said it best in his statement on black history vs white history vs human history.
Voice of the little guy? What about the big guy? Lol
Yup, the big guys, too. Especially the big guys, because they have a talent for providing enough rope to film a Clint Eastwood “Spaghetti Western” ala “Hang ’em High.”
Speaking of Clint Eastwood you’d better get on your horse,….the next Big’ thing is the Water Project!
“An Act Relative to Justice, Equity and Accountability in Law Enforcement in the Commonwealth,”
Watch out for that word “Equity”. It’s not equality. Equity means government enforcing its own idea of what is fair.
Watching out for it, in a battle with little armour.
Try to get ahead & see what happens.
You guys just dont get it.America means you never stop shooting for the truth.The truth is tough to come by now days as we had a president who has lied his entire life.He lied all 8 years call Barrack Obama an illegitimate Democrat president. He now calls Biden the illegitimate Democrat President.He lied to 73 million of his supporters.His final act in office was an attempt to overthrow Americas democracy and not 1 word from the crazy new Republican party.
Pelosi wants to take the nuclear codes out of Biden’s control. That shows she has a lot of trust in old Joe. She knows, as we know, that he is not capable of being president. Unfortunately for the country, the President should have the nuclear codes by himself and that shouldn’t be changed.
There’s good reasons why the cops in the current environment should absolutely not have teeth, and I don’t take the matter light, because, law and order should be considered a good thing.
First off, there’s currently no law and order and justice in any equitable form. Is this the fault of the cops? Well, let’s see.
What’s the job of a cop? Is it to protect and serve, or, is it to simply follow orders? There’s an argument to be made that the cops do in fact protect and serve, but it’s not to protect and serve a constitution, and hence, human beings. It’s obvious to many that the cops are not trained to protect the rights of human beings, and to pursue those who cause harm, because, what’s happened? What’s happened is that corporations have hijacked what was supposed to be a constitutional republic and turned it into their own personal play toy, the people be damned. So, why didn’t the police stop this from happening? On it’s face, it appears that the cops have been, probably unwittingly, protecting and serving large corporate interests. But given the current environment, there are those that are thinking that the cops need teeth? To what end? Aren’t we at the end already? And if the cops are deserving of respect, then why is that? The cops are the ones who are the front line enforcers who have been showing up to mom and pop businesses in order to shut them down for non compliance with crazy so called safety measures that revolve around what? A virus?
I could go on and on and on about the reasons why the cops should be put out of business, and none of these emanate from a lack of understanding of the importance of the rule of law.
Da Fuq?
The fact that you can’t contribute any more than that speak volumes. You understood me, and you don’t really disagree, you just live in fear. Most people need to believe what they’ve been told, which is, the cops are the good guys, but they’re just people.
The only thing the cops should be doing is pursuing individuals who cause actual harm to others. Nothing more, nothing less. Even when it comes to things like speeding, speed limits need to be recommendations, and if it’s found that harm was caused as a result of not adhering to the recommendation, stiff penalties apply. Personal accountability needs to be stressed in any sustainable society. And besides, if there was such a big concern about the dangers of speeding, then why the allowance of vehicles that top out at well over 150 mph. Why put the onus on the average individual and not the auto manufacturer? They want to say, we live in a “free” country, so, you have the right to own a vehicle which if driven to it’s fullest potential is not safe on any city street, but you can’t drive it to it’s limit, or else, the cops will pull you over and fine you. Real nice! But the cops aren’t given the tools they need in order to prevent large corporations from hijacking their society! Get real!
Why can a city committee say racist remarks and nobody questions it? This is how ridiculous times are, when it’s ok to say racist things as long as you aren’t 85% of the population? It is like we are reading Bizarro times!! To help the police who I think do a great job in Pittsfield let’s increase there roles and citizens should help them instead of fighting against them!!!
There are far to many people out there who fully support the police only for the things which they should be doing, like, intervening on the behalf of those who are harmed by others, while ignoring the fact that the police are also doing things which they have no business doing, like, ignoring constitution just because they happen to operate within a system that rewards them for that very behavior. Speaking as someone who worked in so called law enforcement in Berkshire County, I can state unequivocally that the system is nasty filthy corrupt, and it needs to be torn down, immediately, at all costs
What part did you work in? Can you give examples rather than open ended questions? And, I’ll repeat my earlier question, da Fuq you talking about Jack?
I smell BS. You didn’t “work in law enforcement” you were certainly not a sworn officer.
This is just that nut that would post random garbage from before, Blare or something.
Wow a woman of color claiming racism at a Massachusetts college and it being fake.
Where was Andrea Harrington’s investigation, why was that woman not prosecuted?
Maybe she was excited to see Andy
She ought to be probing how a city was held hostage to those sewer rates? And why the mayor and some-most city councilors wouldn’t explore an alternative which actually would be better than it is now. I thought than one councilor in particular didn’t like kicking the can down the road?except for paying the damn thing off twenty years from now? Sorry grandkids.
Now you have the water. I suggest this Council open the door to any proposal other than the one the previous consultant has in mind. Open bidding is the American way. A process that is much cheaper could save rate payers a lot of headache. Don’t make the same mistake twice.
THE PLANET agrees. Open it up to other RFPs.
It’s really nice that Dan gives you the platform to spew your racist crap while acting out your teenage pea brain thoughts. Have some F…ing respect for yourself really and for the others that read this blog. PS. Smith college is in North Hampton and Paul C was still the DA in Berkshire county. Hard to respond to really dumb people but someone has to.
Yes indeed, thank you Dan!
They’re are people who are racists,anti semitics, anti gay,anti rich,anti white,brown red and green. But as a reader on here see nothing racist about this comment this particular comment. Maybe it’s the nipple-reference that has you more upset? And that is totally in line with our American Constitution. Do you thing Dan would let it in if it weren’t?
I like the part of calling this dweeb out for asking for her to investigate this even though it took place in Northhampton as well as not even being the DA at the time. Maybe he was more excited to get the others in the clown club to join in like a pack of teenage boys. Hmm
Seems like a comparison of sorts. Didn’t the D A just support a City Council endorsement for a Springfield out of her jurisdiction candidate. Maybe she’s branching out in Northampton?
That is a sexist statement. How do you know it’s a He that wrote this?
Since you’re too busy slinging your BS to understand English I’ll spell it out for you.
The point is that at another college and in another jurisdiction outside that of Harrington’s purview, actually had an investigation, published the findings and that woman of color who cried racist is no longer at the school.
Meanwhile in Berkshire county, the district attorney is too busy with yoga or driving the wrong way to do an actual investigation into the Simon’s Rock case. Prosecute said case, seek the $190k in reimbursements from the student for all the trouble she caused and the cost of the investigation.
Investigate the 70 plus rape cases that were her priority during her campaign.
Oh and speaking of Capeless and Paul C.
Look at this picture, do you see Harrington anywhere? No? That’s good because that’s a real court with real prosecutors doing the DA’s work for her, FOR FREE, because if up to Harrington, she’d get lost, go to a yoga class, or show up in the wrong court.
Thank god there are real adults with real experience doing real work and not some political hack in need of a paycheck pretending to be a DA
Great post!
Is Harrington’s term of office over yet?!!
She should be recalled!
Thanks to Capeless & Pieropan for donating their time to keep the bad guys locked up.
The false racist hate attack claim has become a pattern. Good point. Close enough to include it on the list with other false claims of racism. We are not racist. People have nipples, teehee. Protect yourself if you cant stand the chill, get out the sweataa
The left wants everybody to be fighting over race, climate change, and identity politics so they can take over without anyone knowing it. The left wants total control over the people of this country just like China has over their people. Unless we stand against it by letting everyone know what the left is trying to do, we will end up with an authoritarian government.
They’ve only had six months data on vaccines. They don’t know if it’s transmittable ,don’t know how long it lasts, and a few other don’t knows. All the experts are saying get the vaccine. I pray it works. The one that gets me are the new strains of Covid. Another thing is the physical ramifications on the body, The vaccine almost sounds like a steroid for the immune system.
“Deliberate Elicitation”
The Sixth Amendment has been interpreted to prohibit the government from deliberately eliciting incriminating information from an accused, in the absence of defense counsel, once adversary judicial criminal proceedings have commenced.
An investigatory technique constitutes elicitation if it is “the equivalent of direct police interrogation.”
Deliberate elicitation occurs when the government through its overt or covert police agent: acts with the purpose of eliciting incriminating information from the accused regarding the pending charges, without regard to the likelihood that the elicitation will be successful; or creates an opportunity for the accused to make incriminating statements about the pending charges. #6
You know why NPR and the left are still whining about Trump? Because they know that after 4 years of getting this crap slammed down our throats the left loon and democrats are going to lose votes
There are more people with brains than they will ever want to admit. Not all are Trump supporters, but they are definitely going to push us in that directions.