PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The articles, rumors and blogs about the investigation into the use of steroids by local law enforcement officers has prompted the district attorney to address the ongoing investigation through a statement released on Tuesday afternoon.
District Attorney David F. Capeless revealed the name of the state trooper implicated in the probe, Daniel Gale, and confirmed that Pittsfield Police Officer David Kirchner was removed as a member of the Berkshire County Drug Task Force.
Indications that the investigation was undertaken by authorities outside the county were confirmed in Capeless' statement. The district attorney says the allegations of steroid use were brought to his attention after a "local police department was contacted by a federal agency." Capeless does not state which police department or which agency (the U.S. Postal Service has told local media that there is an investigation but not into who or what).
The probe was first revealed by postings on the discussion site Topix and on a blog run by former county resident GM Heller and Daniel Valenti's PlanetValenti.com.
has followed up with two articles that revealed Kirchner's involvement and that of a than unnamed state trooper from the Russell barracks in Hampden County.
Capeless said he had decided to make the following limited public statement about the investigation:
"Over the past week, the public has been exposed to rumors, in addition to hard information, regarding steroids and their sale and use here in Berkshire County. Ordinarily, it is the firm policy of my office not to confirm ongoing investigations, much less to divulge their specifics, in order to maintain the integrity and effectiveness of our investigative efforts. However, exceptions need to be made when either public safety or public confidence is being jeopardized by a lack of information.
"In this case, I have decided to make a limited public statement, divulging only that information necessary to adequately explain the circumstances, since there remains an ongoing criminal investigation.
"Several weeks ago, a local police department was contacted by a federal agency to alert them that an investigation into the importation of steroids had uncovered deliveries into their town. A joint investigation was undertaken which resulted in the seizure of steroids and the execution of a search warrant. An examination of recovered materials revealed that two law enforcement officers, Pittsfield Police Officer David Kirchner (a member of the Berkshire County Drug Task Force) and state police Sergeant Daniel Gale (then assigned to the Russell barracks in Hampden County), had apparently been the recipients of steroid deliveries. So far, no information has been uncovered which would indicate involvement in anything other than personal use of steroids by these two, or that any other officers were involved.
"When the information about the two officers was discovered, the local investigating officer, a member of the Berkshire County Drug Task Force, notified his supervisors in the Task Force, who immediately notified me. Since Kirchner was, at the time, a member of the Task Force, it was agreed that we would seek assistance from outside the county in continuing the investigation. State police investigators normally assigned to other units in other jurisdictions were dispatched and are presently engaged in furthering that investigation. Colonel Marian McGovern, the head of the State Police, and Pittsfield Police Chief Michael Wynn were informed of the situation, and each has initiated administrative proceedings while the criminal investigation is underway. Kirchner was immediately removed from the Task Force.
"I take very seriously any allegation that a law enforcement officer has broached the public trust by engaging in criminal activity, and I take just as seriously the reputation of all of the rest of us in law enforcement who honor that trust and continue to guard the public with integrity. No arrests have been made and any decision regarding criminal charges relating to these circumstances will be made with a very clear eye towards those two principles but only upon completion of the ongoing investigation."
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Capeless needs to give this to an outside prosecutor. His relationship with the Pittsfield Police and the local state police is far too close for him to avoid the perception of a conflict.
As a officer within this county I must say that if these officers are found guilty they need to be fired an prosecuted to full extent. Let Capeless do what he was elected to do an show that this county and his office will not tolerate this behavior. If these officers are guilty they cast a dark shadow over our profession thus tarnishing our integrity.
which officer you want protecting ytou or goping through a door with you a physically fit 250lb animal or some fat overwieght dougnut eating slob like most of our local cops...well the big guy is my pic ....legalize steriods and this wouldnt be a problem ..not like there smoking crack !!!!!!!!!!!!!
you can tell with your typos that you must be taking them as your brain is shot...course i dont know how much there was to begin with. I dont need to go through any door with some roid'raged moron. Go ahead and keep taking them...you will be the next docket at arraignment.
Your ace staff reporter fails inexplicably to include in the iBerkshires report above the name of 'Berkshire Blog' the web site which scooped The Berkshire Eagle and obtained confirmation from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service office in Boston that there indeed was an ongoing investigation into illegal sales of anabolic steroids in Pittsfield.
Berkshire Blog's web address is berkshireeagle.blogspot.com.
Thank you in advance for including this information in any future reports you publish on this subject.
The Iberkshire's report claims "(the U.S. Postal Service has told local media that there is an investigation but not into who or what)"
It is necessary to correct this faulty information.
The confirmation from U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Boston that "This is an ongoing investigation" came about as the result of a specifically worded inquiry sent March 20th.
It read as follows:
"I am doing research for an article that would be published within the next few days in Berkshire Blog.
I would like to obtain confirmation or denial on the question of whether U.S. Postal Inspection Service personnel were present at, or involved in, an investigation conducted within the past fourteen (14) days into anabolic steroids allegedly being delivered via U.S. Postal Service (or other package delivery service) to an address at or near an enterprise doing business as Berkshire Nautilus (a so-called fitness center), which firm is located at 42 Summer Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201."
Therefore, as you can readily see, U.S. Postal Service's confirmation was certainly responsive to specific questions of both 'who' and 'what'.
Feel free to contact me should you have further questions regarding any of the above.
Glenn M. Heller
Editor
Berkshire Blog
email: editor@berkshirerecord.com
Looking forward to DA David Capeless' investigation of the head of the Pittsfield police union local who appears to be using fear and intimidation tactics (in blatant violation of federal law) to get rank and file to stop talking to the press about the scandal-plagued city police department.
And how about that same union official, a police officer -- without 'probable cause' -- apparently doing a criminal background search using the police department computer data base to investigate a Berkshire County journalist who has been exposing police department scandals? (What 4th Amendment?)
SEE: Berkshire Blog's article on these compelling subjects:
http://berkshireeagle.blogspot.com/2011/04/emailed-threat-by-police-union-prez-may.html
how come no criminal charges have been brought up,if that a known drug dealer he would have been prosecuted to the fullest,possesion of an illegsl subsatance is just that just goes to show how safe pittsfield is,police getting away with possesion of drugs
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