AG’s RACE: DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN FOR BERKSHIRE VOTERS; WHO DO YOU TRUST AS ‘THE PEOPLE’S LAWYER?’ AN EXPERT LITIGATOR OR AN INEXPERIENCED INCOMPETENT NAMED ANDREA? … PLANET ENDORSES McMAHON
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 5, 2022) — A key vacancy to be filled on Election Day will be state attorney general. Having just been in a contest for district attorney, where voters chose expertise over incompetence, the Berkshire County electorate should have no trouble choosing the best person for the job.
Statewide for AG, voters have the same choice: An inexperienced wokester named Andrea or someone with three-score-and-six of successful courtroom appearances.
Let’s play THE PLANET‘s version of “Who Do You Trust” —
Do you trust a woke bigmouth with almost NO COURT EXPERIENCE who plays the race and gender cards to perfection –OR– a well-respected attorney who has successfully litigated in courts at virtually all levels who understands the job of attorney general is not to be a social engineer but to the represent We The People after they’ve been wronged by criminals?
- Who do you trust? A competent lawyer or a career politician?
- Who do you trust? Democrat Andrea Campbell or Republican Jay McMahon?
Let’s examine more closely.
———- ooo ———-
CAMPBELL
ANDREA CAMPBELL: Inexperienced and woke
Former Boston city councilor, council president, and failed candidate for mayor. Won by playing the race card. Now she’s pushing for AG. In short, a career public-sector porker. As councilor, she argued for defunding police, limiting police options against rioting crowds, and removing police protections. Her history suggests if you aren’t for her, you are “racist and misogynist.” Law enforcement experience grade: F-
McMAHON
Nearly 36 years of combined legal, law enforcement, and military experience.
- Successful trial lawyer.
- Litigated cases at every court level.
- 12 years in corporate business management.
- Lieutenant in Military Police, National Guard.
JAY McMAHON: Decades of Experience
McMahon pledges to reverse the setbacks to public safety enacted by the so-called “Police Reform Bill,” which has reformed nothing except give criminals the inside track and the general public the shiv and shaft. He also vows to fight the law granting illegal aliens state driver’s licenses and the vote, and investigate all reports of public corruption (probably the last thing official Pittsfield wants).
McMahon said he “would not force extreme political agendas on people that run contrary to our culture.” Law enforcement grade: A+
This is as stark a contrast as anyone could imagine: a pro-criminal AG or a pro-People AG.
———- ooo ———-
Both Andreas share one other trait: cowardice.
Harrington ducked debates with Tim Shugrue as if she were in the dodgeball finals. Campbell’s similarly juking. McMahon offered seven debates. For weeks her reply: “We’ll see.” In the end, Campbell agreed to one, Oct. 20. It prompted a statement from state Republican Party chair Jim Lyons:
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Statewide, voters have a no brainer.
THE PLANET endorses Jay McMahon for AG with our highest recommendation. We advise voters to choose competence over incompetence, honesty over duplicity, and citizens over criminals.
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“Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young.” — Theodore Roosevelt.
LOVE TO ALL.
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Jay will be a great AG. Let’s hope that the woke experiment is over and the voters of our state wise up.
Pittsfield has had many decades of violent crime. Andrea Harrington has been the Berkshire County District Attorney for less than 4 years, and she will soon be replaced by the greedy Ambulance chasing and divorce Attorney Tim Shugrue, who is in the pocket of the limousine latte liberal political establishment, such as rich boy trust fund multimillionaire Sherwood Guernsey and greed-ball lobbyist Dan Bosley. Give me a break about scapegoating Andrea Harrington for Pittsfield’s problems. Sherwood Guernsey and Dan Bosley and company all chose Tim Shugrue because he will do what they tell him to do as the next D.A. It is all an insider’s game in state and local politics, which means that the fictional Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski family don’t really matter to the elites no matter how progressive they pretend to be. To be fair, it is the same everywhere. However, I believe that Pittsfield politics has it in spades!
You post derivatives of the same shit each day. Complete and utter nonsense.
And you loved “the lovely” Linda, aka “Flat/Fat”, Tyer too.
How is that working out John?
You support and vote for the far left progressive liberal political establishment and now complain? The only difference between you and them is your without the limousine and latte.
As we discussed over a candlelight dinner Jonathan progressive politics leads to high crime rates and rampant theft. You have a beer or two and get blitzed and your macho side must come out in defense of women of Pittsfield politics.
The penis mightier than the sword.
Great column Dan & thanks for highlighting this important race. McMahon for AG!
Will you be endorsing a candidate for Guv?
Thanks, FRITZ. Yes, I’ll be endorsing for gov.
Who is 3rd party for Gov? The Jackass and RINO candidates, MSM will spin about, are not going to help the Citizens of Massachusetts.
I’m with you on rinos and all. Shiva is the Real Indian, and his IQ beats all of Bacon Hill combined. He speaks the Truth. Not political truth – American Truth.
But the point is that corrupt DA’s make corrupt governors too. And corrupt governors help make new corrupt DA’s and other miscreants. Healy is corrupt, just as Coakley – sheltering murderous child-mutilating cop donor brilliante – is corrupt. Just elect them out of office. That means Diehl wins as the morally acceptable candidate, if only because he is not an effective corrupter.If he is as you suspect, he’ll tread water and the sharks will gobble his hind quarters. His rotten head will float to shore. No loss!
2018
Dan great article, in fact I think the only one in the area about the AG race, Unfortunately I have learned that experience and skill don’t matter to the voters in the Bay State, The only qualifier is having that D next to your name on the ballot. Voters of Massachusetts are like the lemmings going over the cliff they see (I believe but they are very well brainwashed so they may not see) the danger but keep following the line to their death. What bothers me is voters who do read and think intelligently are being pulled by these lemmings to their doom unless they move away. You know the powers to be in Pittsfield won’t vote for someone who may investigate their illegal doings. Still haven’t been told what voting machines are used in Pittsfield, if they can be tweeked or hacked and who scans the voting rolls? I would volunteer going over the voting list to make sure all names are legal. In my own addresses I have had in Pittsfield through the years I have argued with poll watchers that names at my address were long dead, some took a decade to have removed.
Governor Baker….no D in front of his name….just saying
Yes for some reason the Bay Staters get nervous with the Governor’s office, thinking they have the power to counterbalance the Legislature, but in reality the power of the Commonwealth is in the Legislature which is 90% Democrat. This can be seen with all the Veto’s that get overturned. The reason Baker is leaving is he got tired of the charade and wants to get involved in things he actually have an influence in.
RINO-Faker
YOU voted for him
Nope. But You will vote for Healey.
You have stopped even trying to be coherent.
Buggy picture shelf street.
Liberal/Democrat candidates, “Name just ONE thing, that is built back or better?.
Except for many thousands of, previously deported, Criminal Aliens. That would be they are back, not built or better.
I was doing so much better financially during the Trump years. Now only the layabouts are doing well because they live off the government and take drugs all day. So many people would get mad at me for saying I was doing well during the Trump years. Now when I’m not doing as well, they don’t want to hear that either. Such hypocrisy.
I dumped all my mutual funds that flourished under Trump, as they lost all those gains in 20 months of Liberal lunacy and are worth less now, under Biden/handlers, than before Trump took office.
Four years of positive investment in retirement, wiped out by LGBFJB!!!
Every time Biden opens his mouth, some Americans 401K looses $5000
Candidate response should be: Hell no, they didn’t steal only Trump votes. They stole votes from everyone without a D in front of their name to win elections held across the country from local, state and federal level.
I’m so happy that Trump is beginning to sue these news networks that are telling lies about him everyday.
I am so sick of soft on crime shit, there is one local resident who has been caught stealing from tj max over TWENTY TIMES! They refuse to prosecute this individual. What message is this sending and how will it effect other business owners who may not be able to
Just absorb the losses.will they progress and try an armed robbery instead of shoplifting ? Why not? No punishment for a crime that one is caught committing results in the crime being viewed no longer as a crime. It only encourages more and more serious crime. Build more jails, hire more guards, create jobs for more councilors to possibly help these people but we have to punish those who break the law and get caught, otherwise our safety will continue to be compromised. Let’s call them what they are, they are not all victims, most of them are just criminals and scum bags. Low level crime is a steppingstone for these idiots, it’s practice and the natural progression is to try for
More. We are lucky Tim won and I can only help he starts locking these criminals up even if they get very short sentences at first that increase with multiple convictions. Sick and tired of soft on crime!!
POT
Amazing, isn’t it? I know of several local businesses that are kept up at night, frazzled, over this phenomenon. This is possibly the most anti-business stance a city and an area can have. Ditto your comments on Tim Shugrue. We have the same thing with the race for AG. McMahon has a good shot at an upset, and he, too, is “sick and tires of soft on crime.” Well said. VOTE JAY McMAHON. He’s going to need EVERY vote he can get.
The costs of shoplifting are not absorbed by the company. The costs are passed on to we, the customers. We have to pay more for these items, on top of already high inflation, when shoplifting is allowed without consequences.
That is a slow process for the consumer. I suppose it’s kind of indirect and hard to measure The immediate cost is passed onto workers who experience slower wage growth to account for lost revenue. That effect is widespread.
Time for a community meeting between the public, Chief Wynn and incoming DA Shugrue to address the local crime issue.
Speaking of which, why did the Parker street shooting that the Eagle thought was so “disturbing” disappear so fast?
A call from the corner office perhaps?
Another cat theft up by Parker last night.
Why?
Why NOT? Get people to show up & put pressure on DA & Police Chief to catch & charge perps. Why have a Police Chief if no one is doing anything about crime in this city. Put Shugrue on notice that we want crimes prosecuted!
and corruption in mikey’s police department and mikey is the chief. No leadership just like in the corner office.
Ask why Pittsfield has seemedly become such a big attraction for gangs, drugs, overdoses and suicides. I thought we had a gang task force. Can we get a readout of what they have done and are doing and why it is failing miserably? And why has it gotten soooo much worse now that mayor Tyer is in charge of the city?
If you are going to have a community meeting, which will be a waste of time, then Mayor Hideaway should be there, getting her ample ass handed to her on a silver platter. She has totally tolerated the shootings as have the cops, despite all the bullshit statements to the contrary.
Where’s the beef? I mean the mayor!
Independents now make up the largest voting block in the state so there is hope.
No independent. Unenrolled
Are the “leaders” of MA trying to turn the Commonwealth into a US version of Venezuela?
An Attorney General candidate (Andrea Campbell) who wants to defund the police. With crime skyrocketing in all liberal (democrat) led cities, wants to further cripple the police. Not to mention, “bail reduction,” which is lib speak for POC are excused of their crimes, regardless of violence or not.
A state representative (Tricia Farley-Country Buffet, D-illegal immigrants) who hasn’t done jack $hit for the Pittsfield taxpayers in over a decade in office, but found the time and energy to draw up legislation to give illegal aliens an MA driver’s license.
I will give TFCB credit. With all of the gun crimes and violence going on in Pittsfield, she was able to find Chief Mike Wynn, to give a quick sound bite on this matter. Remember this nugget, voting to give illegals driver’s license “makes it safe for everyone. Even Chief Wynn thinks so.”
Let’s get back to (somewhat) normalcy. For AG, vote Jay McMahon and vote NO on 4.
TFB wants to tie the drivers licenses into voting for the illegals because this is what its been all about with this invasion of our country. It’s about votes and Massachusetts makes it easy because in this state if you get a drivers license, you are automatically signed up to vote. TFB is mad because she wants the illegals to vote in this upcoming election, but now the people have a say in whether they can drive and vote.
It shows who TFCB is really working for. The special interests in Boston and certainly not the taxpayers in Pittsfield.
Wouldn’t it be great if the Eagle ran an in-depth story on the number of the “houseless”, recovering drug addicts, and those in half way houses from eastern MA, that all of her “grant money” brought us here in Pittsfield during the pandemic and after.
Where they are currently residing, if they can be found.
And how many criminal charges have each racked up under Wrong Way’s soft on crime approach?
I’m willing to go out on a limb and say the numbers would not ‘vibrant and dynamic.’
It would be very interesting if someone did a survey and asked all of the homeless and panhandlers where they are from. My guess is they are 90% imports with more of their friends on the way due to the handout culture the city offers.
Good post but I’d like to have seen you look into what kind of a Republican McMahon is. Is he a “Charlie Baker” republican as in anti-Trump, pro women’s rights, strict gun laws? Not that all of these issues have to do with being AG but he’s going to be unelectable without a stronger stance.
He’s for enforcing the laws if Massachusetts. Has nothing to do with his opinion of Trump or Biden.
Baker is a faker just like Mitt the Twitt. Lieawatha Warren, has more Native American blood, than either have Conservative in them.
Nothing could be worse than the D-Rat running for AG, think Wrong Way X 10. No matter what McMahon is , I’ll hold my nose and give him my vote.
Let’s be honest, you could have just put up their photos and no text. We’d immediately know who you were endorsing lol.
Evidently the eagle doesn’t think that shots fired in a neighborhood full of kids as important nor are murderesor anything else
Are there any Lists available for the arpa, at home,and Covid recipients available? Charles,anyone?
ARPA is listed on the city website.
Well, not as important as a warning not to go any further with the story anyway
From my perspective you just made a racist comment. Call the Biden team so you get kicked off social media….wait that is what they are looking for a divided country
After reading the story on the latest school board meeting on iberkshires – no wonder our schools are failing. The Curtis regime hires based on diversity not merit. Doesn’t get more racist than that!
Curtis is a big disappointment in on this park homelessness thing we’re most counselors are for squatting let’s go to the park where these ward counselors and pitch tents.
?????
Yeah,pitch the tents in Elmer Fudds ward Deming Or Belange.
They’re more worried about the percentage of white teachers than the percentage of good teachers.
The want activist teachers with rainbow colored hair, nose rings, and lots of tattoos on their body who want to discuss their sex lives with the children. They don’t want the teacher of our day who was more concerned about teaching reading writing, and math. Now it’s all about the far left agenda.
100% That’s why teachers are leaving the district in droves. They should do a data study on how many licensed teachers (That’s important since a majority of teachers in Pittsfield are ON WAIVERS) commute out of district because it’s such a shit show.
I learned a good portion of teachers in the pioneer valley commute from the berkshires. Definitely not because of a lack of job opportunities.
Go Woke. Go Broke.
Simply having a black person teach isn’t going to help kids learn Reading, Writing and ‘rithmetic. How’s that diversity working at Reid? Is this why we need all of our high school games at BCC with state police available for security?
Pittsfield Public Schools is a failing educational system.
At least they have a millionaire, thanks to ARPA funds, “cultural competency coach,” in Shirley Edgerton.
She will delight the students, those who actually attend school, with her families trials and tribulations of their trip to Africa.
Reading, writing, and arithmetic? Who needs that when the schools cultural competency coach shares tales of her taxpayer funded vacation.
The local newspaper has an article talking about a survey that indicates North Adams teachers have sagging morale. Not sure if they were allowed to ask Pittsfield teachers how their morale is but probably not. But it would be interesting to know huh?
We always hear about how sad and bad things happen in other parts of the county but Pittsfield? Not so much. Can’t help but wonder why.
Since a majority of the teachers aren’t even fully licensed, or essentially they are the bottom of the barrel, they are happy just to have jobs.
Until the union tells them to be outraged. They they will picket and protest
all 92% of the white folk will proclaim racism is the reason it’s a level 5 district
Q. If you homeschool your kids, they won’t fit in with a “woke society”?
A. CORRECT!!! : )
And if you home school your kids in Pittsfield you should not have to pay nutso property taxes. you should get a 75% reduction.
actually everyone should get a 50% reduction because they are way over paying for what they get.
a year or so ago the Eagle had an article saying Pittsfield has like29.5 percent chronically absentee rate. and it Pittsfield that is prolly a good thing cuz them there bozos don’t be wantin ta learn nuttin anyway
Re: Why I do NOT support Smitty Pignatelli
How many decades will Lenox State Representative Smitty Pignatelli be a corrupt career politician in Boston? He has been a Solon on Beacon Hill since 2003. He is running for his 11th term in 2022. What has he accomplished over the past 20 years? Would Smitty even be a State Representative if it wasn’t for his late father John Pignatelli’s political career? A few of Smitty’s lowlights include his steady opposition to Sunshine Laws in state government, his vote in early-2017 for his own 40% legislative pay raise bill that cost state taxpayers over $18 million, his support for GE’s proposed toxic waste dump inside of a watershed in the polluted Housatonic River in Lee, his op-eds stating how Berkshire County has lost thousands of living wage jobs and population while state and local taxes have increased without looking at himself in the proverbial mirror, his mostly rubber stamp votes in favor of the top-down State House leadership agenda that does mostly DISSERVICES to Western Massachusetts, his votes for House Speakers Tom Finneran and Sal DiMasi, both of whom later became Convicted Felons, and his academic and professional background in business finance that he uses to enrich himself, along with his fellow overpaid politicians, at the public trough, while the rest of have to pound sand. I believe that Smitty Pignatelli should have retired from politics many years ago!
Jonathan A. Melle
Melle stop the nonsense. U don’t like smitty because he turned u down for a date. At least that’s what u told me.
Melle u need to stick to what u know and do best. Dungeons and dragons and guys.
I’m sure Smitty is all broken up over not being supported by a cellar dweller from New Hampshire!!!!
JACK GUEZ/AFP/AFP via Getty Images
Washington CNN —
Russian-speaking hackers on Wednesday claimed responsibility for knocking offline state government websites in Colorado, Kentucky and Mississippi, among other states – the latest example of apparent politically motivated hacking following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This is just the beginning. Putin is coming for America, knowing it is deeply divided and weak as a result. America has become its own worst enemy as many of them have wittingly or unwittingly helped Putin. Saudi Arabia and Korea have now come out as aligned with Putin. Opec is raising the price of oil in an effort to add to American misery. Look for other gut punches in the days ahead.
cuckoo,cuckoo and you are one of them
The far left pushed Putin away from any relationship with our country. After hearing Trump and Russia collusion for 4 years, Russia and China have been pushed close together and that is dangerous for the whole world. None of this had to happen. You mean knowing that Biden is weak and everyone is taking advantage of that fact. The biggest gut punch for this country and the world has been coming from Biden policies.
Oh god lady, are you ever in for a surprise when the real world hits you. I guarantee you when Russia comes knocking they are not going to leave the MAGA crowd untouched. You are all going down with the rest of the country. Just because you volunteered to be his soldiers does not mean he gives a crap about you. He does not. You have been useful idiots and nothing more.
You voted for Biden
Yes, Trump voters will be just as dead as Democrats. What’s your point? The real world has been hitting me courtesy of Biden’s policies.
Biden/handlers and Sotero did that.
“Opec is raising the price of oil in an effort to add to American misery. Look for other gut punches in the days ahead.”
America is flush with oil reserves , more than the Saudis in the Permian basin West Texas/New Mexico.
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/central-energy-resources-science-center/science/permian-basin-oil-and-gas-assessments
First thing Biden did in January 2021, by executive order/fiat, was to shut down most of domestic oil production. Biden/his handlers are why energy costs are through the roof and all other commodities have followed. Biden followed this up, by gutting America’s/Americans strategic oil reserves, and selling them to his Communist Chinese business partners.
“This is just the beginning. Putin is coming for America, knowing it is deeply divided and weak as a result. America has become its own worst enemy as many of them have wittingly or unwittingly helped Putin. Saudi Arabia and Korea have now come out as aligned with Putin.”
Biden is a laughing stock among world leaders. After only 8 months, the debacle in Afghanistan was just the start on his driving the nation down the Highway to Hell. Allies no longer trust America for military support, but his business partners sure do, eg Ukraine.
Selecting Biden Nov 2020, has resulted in American misery, with more to come.
Biden has announced, that “to save the planet”, and waste your money, America is going to buy it’s wind from other countries too.
Curiously, slow Joe is sending generators to Florida, instead of Chinese manufactured wind turbines and solar panels……..
What about transgender solar panels?
Yes!! They work with sunlight … and Moonlight. Both ways. Or neither.
And the Liberals/Schumer too, not just Biden……
“On Wednesday Joe Biden failed to bribe the Saudis to produce more gas and oil.
Joe Biden was willing to pay $80 a barrel to the Saudis if they kept pumping oil on the world market. But OPEC declined the offer and decided to cut 2 million barrels of oil a day.
Back in 2020, Democrats blocked President Trump from purchasing US oil at $24 a barrel to fill the strategic oil reserves.
Chuck Schumer and Democrats blocked this wise investment. They labeled it a buyout for big oil.”
“In 2020 Democrats led by Chuck Schumer refused to purchase oil at $24 a barrel to refill the strategic oil reserves as the Trump administration requested. This was not just an excellent investment but it would have provided immediate relief to domestic producers. Schumer and Democrats blocked the deal. The clear winners of this decision were Russia, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and OPEC. Who is the real “Putin’s puppet?”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/10/putins-puppet-2020-chuck-schumer-democrats-blocked-trumps-proposal-buy-american-oil-24-barrel-crushed-american-energy-producers-giant-gift-putin/
The demons in the WH have sold us down the river as they are releasing more barrels from the Strategic Oil Reserves.
What will you do when gas is not available? What happens if we don’t have adequate oil supplies in time of war?
We’ve gone from Trump making us energy independent two short years ago…. to being totally dependent on foreign oil supplies.
Vote Republican or Independent in November! And pray that our country survives being raped by the regime in Washington!
I’m chopping cordwood and buying non-E10 gas and mix oil for the chainsaws.
They let you have that in the nuthouse?
We’ve never met, since I avoid fruits and nuts, and you’re a fruitcake.
Worst Mayors in History of Pittsfield…..best Mayor……. Don Butler
1 Linda Tyer
2 Gerry Doyle
3 Dan Bianchi
4 Jimmy Ruberto
4 Ann Woitkowski
5 Ed Reilly
5 Charlie Smith
7 Sarah Hathaway
6 Remo DelGallo
7 Sarah Hathaway
When the G-man ran for mayor he was against the new Taconic high school. He made clear that the city budget would be reduced by 7% per year,he said all cops would have body cams and boots on the ground.He said he would clean up the cities gang bangers as well as the other criminals and crooks who are literally taking over our city. He says that the police department could run more smoothly with a new police chief. These were just few of his agenda items,the Wiz is starting to look good and of course he has the balls of stainless steel and is not afraid of anything or anyone.
I hope the Wizard plans to run for some position as we need a hardened individual like a Gaetani who is a decorated and fearless soldier of the Vietnam War.We should all hope that he runs for some position in city government, even Fritz would think that would be an improvement.
If he decides to run, and if he has the stamina and good health for it, THE PLANET would recommend Ward 6 councilor. He would have a shot against Lampiasi.
As long as the G-Man stays in his lane, he could beat Dina Guiel-Smith-Phillips-Thompkins-Worthington-Lampaisi.
The G-Man begins to think he’s an expert in all matters and that’s his undoing. He wants to be the mayor, police chief, fire chief, DPW manager, etc, and feels he knows these jobs better than the trained professionals. That’s what turns voters off to the G-man.
MARC
“Stays in his lane” is a good way to phrase it.
He may be a ding dong but a lot of V namers came home like that. That’s why ding dongs like fritz can say what they want on here. Look, we need change here,let or should I say give,the ding dongs a chance. Yuki,Dina,Kacpvy,Persip,et al aren’t ding dongs? Common Man
Marcus thanks for the input for the G man.Because he hasn’t decided whether to run for any position,he must stay current on all issues so that if he decides to run for an at-large position he will be knowledgeable of the issues at hand.G man is always studying citynissues and would be a positive force and voice of the cities tax rate prayers.Mr. G is a serious type individual and he has a good carry through.I know that the G-man will excel in any position he may win and I’m certain that he will become a true voice of the people of Pittsfield,Marcus,I hope this answers some of your questions
No, Fritz does not think you would be an improvement. Fritz thinks you are a ding dong.
I must admit that is funny. But at least admit Mr. Fritz Dina is NOT the A N S W E R neither are the other EIGHT ding dongs. If I were in his ward I’d vote Craig. At least he has an idea or two. Commemorative signs? Wth
I have the same feeling about Trump.
So how is it the city doesn’t know where the shot spotter devices are? Didn’t the company have to get permits to install it?
Elkins has asked the prosecution to furnish a spreadsheet that contains the GPS coordinates of the acoustic sensors, said Brett Vottero, a special prosecutor in the case.
But Vottero said that after speaking with police Chief Michael Wynn, he learned “no such document or information is available in the Pittsfield Police Department.”
Wow! Is there even one department left in Pittsfield that has a clue to what they are doing? Just one?
Are there any documents as to where the Covid money is going? Is Kerwood required to keep any documents as to where taxpayer money is spent? Does he know if he is required to keep documents or was that eliminated in the last charter revision?
Does Marchetti have any documents listing the number of ways he has let down the people who trusted him and voted for him? Or does he keep all that inhis head? (bet the mayor has the answer hee hee)
We pay a huge annual service fee to that SS company for monitoring and data collection. All that information is readily available through a simple email request. So I call Bulls&*%.
How much ?
Berkshire Eagle
12/2016
Pittsfield City Council OKs Shotspotter gunshot surveillance system
PITTSFIELD — A gun shot alert system known as ShotSpotter is expected to be up and running in the city within six months.
City Council unanimously approved a $300,000 gift from Berkshire Health Systems Tuesday night. The gift will cover half of the cost of a three-year $600,000 contract for the acoustic surveillance system which detects gunshots in real time and relays the information to police.
“Public safety has always been one of my top priorities,” Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi said. “We do have a problem. Now with this it will be a heads-up to [police.]”
Mayor Linda Tyer said she hopes to secure grant or institutional funding for the remaining $300,000 but told the council she would not rule out taxpayer support.
“I’m committed to finding the remaining partners but I don’t want to eliminate the possibility that the taxpayers might supply some funding,” she said.
In an email following the meeting, Tyer explained some private property may be required to host one acoustic device. She said ShotSpotter, which would own and maintain all hardware for the system, would be responsible for securing those rights.
“But first we will use as many public buildings as possible before we seek the assistance of private property owners,” Tyer wrote.
Pittsfield’s coverage area is confidential, but Police Chief Michael Wynn told the Eagle it was determined by analyzing location data from gun and violent crimes. He said it covers most of the city’s urban center.
Wynn told councilors the technology would have helped pinpoint the locations of two reports of gunfire city police responded to Monday night. Four arrests were made related to the two separate incidents. No injuries were reported.
ShotSpotter sensors would allow for a targeted response. Police receive digital alerts with address, latitude and longitude, the number of rounds fired, and type of gunfire within 45 seconds of a shooting.
It “is putting cops on dots,” Wynn said echoing the company’s shorthand for the technology.
In addition to more accurate and faster response time, Wynn said the technology will help improve evidence collection and apprehension rates.
While he voted in favor of Berkshire Health System’s gift supporting ShotSpotter, Ward 4 Councilor Christopher Connell said he will be interested to see data on the success or failure rates of the technology.
In November, an investigation by Forbes magazine analyzed ShotSpotter data for seven cities. It made the information for those cities, obtained via public records requests, publicly available.
Brockton police received 296 alerts from ShotSpotter over more than two years. The department concluded 51.35% of those alerts were unfounded. It made two arrests based on the information, according to ShotSpotter police data.
In a separate interview, Wynn said he was interested in the success other Massachusetts police departments have had with the technology. He cited Springfield, which began using the tool in 2008, and has expanded its use of the technology.
Springfield police could not be reached for comment before deadline. In 2010, Masslive reported ShotSpotter detected 4,158 gunshots, contributed to 25 arrests and the seizure of 23 illegal firearms.
During public comment, one Pecks Road resident spoke against the technology.
“I can’t really see spending $600,000 on that,” Howard Branton said referring to ShotSpotter. “It is not going to save one life.”
Under the contract Pittsfield is set to sign it is prohibited from sharing detailed electronic data with others. ShotSpotter CEO Ralph Clark said the move protects its business model, adding the company intends to sell the data to the federal government or another entity interested in gun violence research.
That’s a move researchers interested in the data find troubling. They contend data purchased by cities and towns should be freely available to the public. Citing connections to Berkshire Health Systems, Councilor At-large Kathleen Amuso and Ward 1 Councilor Lisa Tully recused themselves from the discussion of ShotSpotter, Councilor At-Large Melissa Mazzeo was absent.
A waste of our tax dollars. How much total pissed away and how many shootings solved because of it?????
$600k a year
Eagle 2016 :
PITTSFIELD — A gun shot alert system known as ShotSpotter is expected to be up and running in the city within six months.
City Council unanimously approved a $300,000 gift from Berkshire Health Systems Tuesday night. The gift will cover half of the cost of a three-year $600,000 contract for the acoustic surveillance system which detects gunshots in real time and relays the information to police.
“Public safety has always been one of my top priorities,” Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi said. “We do have a problem. Now with this it will be a heads-up to [police.]”
Mayor Linda Tyer said she hopes to secure grant or institutional funding for the remaining $300,000 but told the council she would not rule out taxpayer
support.
Continuing:
“I’m committed to finding the remaining partners but I don’t want to eliminate the possibility that the taxpayers might supply
some funding,” she said.
Also from the article:
Under the contract Pittsfield is set to sign it is prohibited from sharing detailed electronic data with others. ShotSpotter CEO Ralph Clark said the move protects its business model, adding the company intends to sell the data to the federal government or another entity interested in gun violence research.
Governor is taking transgender identication out of the schools. Good for everyone.
No, the city knows where the shot spotter system is located and what areas are covered.
This is just some BS by a defense attorney trying to muddy the waters.
Plus, if you were the police department, would you want to turn over sensitive information like that to DA Wrong Way’s Office, so people like Shirley Edgerton can glean and pass on that info to her family or friends to aid in their criminal activities? No way, no how.
Shirley is brazen enough to take her family on a taxpayer funded (ARPA) vacation to Africa to “explore her roots.” Fraud and deception know no boundaries with PPS’ cultural competency coach.
Tyers doing commercials now on pctv. The latest is a beautiful home and great neighborhood for families? Wow. Maybe she’ll promise a shot spotter on every neighborhood. That Works !!!!
From the Eagle on the issue:
Berkshire Eagle
The attorney for a man charged with killing Asiyanna Jones wants information about ShotSpotter. Prosecutors say they don’t have it
PITTSFIELD — A lawyer for a man charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Asiyanna Jones in 2017 is seeking information about ShotSpotter, a surveillance system used by city police to locate the source of gunshots.
But neither city police nor prosecutors have the information the defense is seeking, so it will be up to the private company that runs the service to decide whether to comply with the request.
Defense lawyer Marissa Elkins said she was concerned that ShotSpotter, a private company that charges municipalities a fee to license the service, may not give up the information she seeks.
“ShotSpotter is rather notorious across the country in terms of relying on claims of proprietary information, and not releasing information about their algorithms and their methods of analysis, and then using that as a shield to prevent disclosure of just this kind of thing,” she said at a recent hearing.
Elkins represents Gary Linen, one of the three defendants facing a murder charge in connection with the Jones’ death. He is scheduled for trial next month in Berkshire Superior Court.
Gunfire broke out between the three — Linen, Carey Pilot and Elizabeth “Nunu” Perez — on the night of Oct. 2, 2017.
Jones, 22, who is not believed to have been the intended target of the shooting, was struck in the head by a bullet while she was sitting in a parked car on Dewey Avenue. She was pronounced dead several hours later at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.
Prosecutors have said they identified a witness who was prepared to testify that they saw Linen firing a shot that may have struck Jones.
Elkins has asked the prosecution to furnish a spreadsheet that contains the GPS coordinates of the acoustic sensors, said Brett Vottero, a special prosecutor in the case.
But Vottero said that after speaking with police Chief Michael Wynn, he learned “no such document or information is available in the Pittsfield Police Department.”
In 2016, when the City Council accepted a grant to cover half the $600,000 cost of a three-year contract with ShotSpotter, Wynn said that while the area of the city that was covered by the ShotSpotter network was confidential, it generally covered most of the city’s urban center.
Mayor Linda Tyer told The Eagle in 2016 that ShotSpotter owns and maintains all the hardware used in the system that the city leases.
Vottero said the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office has already turned over to the defense “100 pages directly from ShotSpotter of their reports.”
Elkins argued that sensor location information should be provided to her by prosecutors, but Judge Douglas Wilkins said the DA’s office doesn’t have an obligation under the rules of evidence to “to fight with ShotSpotter over information that the commonwealth does not have.”
Ultimately, Wilkins determined the information would be sought directly from ShotSpotter via a subpoena from the court to the company. It’s unclear whether the company will supply the information requested.
Linen, Pilot and Perez have each pleaded not guilty to murder. Their cases are currently scheduled for trial on Nov. 21.
Ricky Rumpas leaves school kids out in the cold while he takes an all expense paid trip to a golf course in SC for a “conference”.
PITTSFIELD — After some chilly early autumn days without heat, the boiler at Pittsfield High School was turned on Thursday following some repairs after a routine inspection.
The boiler was restored around 5 a.m. Thursday morning, after work by crews from the Pittsfield Building Maintenance Department teams and outside contractors resolved issues with the boiler.
“The time we have between breaking these boilers down after the heating season and having inspections doesn’t leave us much time to make repairs if they require it,” Brian Filiault, director of building maintenance for the City of Pittsfield, said in an email. “I did have some sleepless nights over getting these boilers back on line before the real cold weather hits and I believe we have achieved this goal.”
Fucking rumpASS.