COVID-19: Message from the GB Police Department

A message from Chief Walsh of the Great Barrington Police Department:

The safety of our community and employees is our highest priority. In consideration and cooperation of the Town of Great Barrington’s declaration of the State of Emergency, the Great Barrington Police Department is instituting operational changes and restrictions aimed at protecting the health and safety of our police officers, civilian employees, as well as our community at large.

These adjustments are necessary in order to limit exposure between our staff, as well as between our staff and the public, so that we may continue to effectively respond to necessary calls for service. We are asking that the public refrain from entering our building for non-emergency services. In addition the following services have been suspended:

• Fingerprinting Services
• Firearms License/Permit Processing
• In-Person Sex Offender Registration (please call for
partial registration)
• Medication Disposal (pill drop box)
• Records Requests – Only time sensitive requests will be
processed. Crash Reports should be mailed to, Great
Barrington Police Department 465 Main Street, Great
Barrington, MA 01230

Citizens are encouraged to call 413-528-0306 ext 3 with questions regarding the availability of non-essential services.

In accordance with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Massachusetts Department of Public Health, our officers are being encouraged to practice "social distancing". We are asking them to handle certain calls for service that don't require an immediate or in-person response over the telephone rather than responding to the scene. In addition; past misdemeanor crimes with no known suspects can be submitted via email to Policereport@townofgb.org. This email will be checked periodically throughout the day and an Officer will generate a report and contact you for any additional information that is needed.

If an Officer does respond to a residence or business for a call, we are asking them to conduct their conversations and interactions with people outside if it is safe and practical to do so.

All emergency calls, crimes in progress, or incidents which require an immediate response will still be responded to and investigated by officers in-person. Don't hesitate to call us for help.

We will continue to evaluate conditions and adjust our response protocols as needed. We encourage our community to look to reputable sources of information on COVID-19 to make the best decisions for yourselves, your families, and your neighbors. All of the members of the Great Barrington Police Department are committed to keeping ourselves safe so we can do our best to keep you safe.