Pittsfield City Council Cuts $100K from the Police Budget

In an article posted to iBerkshire.com, last night the Pittsfield City Council voted to cut $100,000 from the Pittsfield Police budget and reallocated $85,000 to fund clinicians and to assist people in distress according to the article.  The motion to shift the funds passed by a vote of 8 to 3.

The $100,000 haircut came in the form of $50,000 being cut from the expenses budget and an additional $50,000 was cut from the event’s overtime budget of $120,000 to $70,000.  A move that made sense to the council based on the number of cancelled summer events.

According to the article posted on iBerkshires.com, Police Chief Wynn said this cut on top of the $100,000 already made would send the budget into disarray but they would find a way to continue to provide the same services. He said call times would most definitely be affected.

"I have never received the instruction to reduce services and we would have to find a way to do it and we always find a way to do it," Wynn was quoted in the iBershires.com article as saying… "It is going to lead to increased response times and some call we can't get to right away but we will make it work and provide the safety and security the city needs.

According to the article in iBerkshires.com, this was the fourth budget hearing ended by  passing a reduced Police Department budget of $11,324,229 by a vote of 6 to 5.   Prior to the cuts the original budget included a 4.8% increase totaling $11,424,229.

In other Public Service news from last night’s meeting according to iBerkshires.com, the council approved the $8,426,958 Fire Department budget.  That is an increase of $37,062.