The Pittsfield Police Department maintains our own, internal training function within the Professional Standards Unit. Training is responsible for conducting all required and requested in-service training, as well as tracking and documenting all specialized training attended by members of the Department with other agencies or vendors.
The Department’s in-service topics conducted in 2019 included Legal Update, Police Response to Persons with Mental Illness (Part 2), the continued implementation of Integrating Communication, Assessment and Tactics (ICAT), Rescue Task Force (Police/Fire Response to an Active Assailant Incident), Initial Command and Control of an Active Assailant Incident, CPR/1st Responder, including Officer Self-aid, and all of our required Use of Force training. That included Use of Force review, all firearms platforms, defensive tactics (DT), PR-24, TASER, and other less-lethal devices.
In 2019, Department personnel participated in over 160 specialized training programs. Topics included Internal Affairs, Gang Awareness Training, Traumas of Law Enforcement, Cell Phone Investigations, DARE Officer Updates, Drug Awareness for Schools, Kripalu RISE, Animal Control Officer Certification, Field Training Officer Certification, Intelligence Analysis, Media and PIO training, Below 100, School Resource Officer certification, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Workshop, Street Crimes and numerous other topics and specialties.