Berkshire County Community Service Graffiti Removal Project
Brings Shine Back to Downtown Pittsfield

When Yvonne Pearson, Executive Director of Downtown Inc.—a revitalization and redevelopment group in Pittsfield-- and other area business owners discovered graffiti scrawled on signs and other spaces which stretched the entire length of the city’s main drag one morning, they immediately called the Berkshire County Community Service Program.

The eight-member crew, led by Berkshire County Court Services Coordinator Connor Doherty, spent 32 hours scrubbing and scraping the garish graffiti which covered city “Stop,” and “No Parking” signs as well as light poles and mailboxes on North Street and four to five side streets. This community service project was a collaborative effort of Downtown Inc.’s CrimeWatch committee and the local Department of Public Works which provided special graffiti removal spray and scrapers for the clean-up.

“We got a really good response. A lot of passersby were walking up to the crew and complimenting them on how the street was looking a lot better,” said Doherty.

“All parties are rewarded equally. Participants with limited or no income are given an opportunity to fulfill their court-ordered obligations through meaningful and much needed community work. Our participants show a sense of achievement while becoming stakeholders in their community,” said David Skocik, Statewide Supervisor for the Massachusetts Trial Court Community Service Program.

Doherty and his community service crew have done work with Downtown Inc., a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Pittsfield, in the past. Pearson, Downtown, Inc.’s Executive Director, is especially pleased with the work performed by Community Service.

“Having the Community Service Program involved in the initiative was extremely important to us,” Pearson said. “As a non-profit, we do not have the needed manpower or the means to accomplish a clean-up of this magnitude,” Pearson said.

She added, “Graffiti, if left untended, can project a negative image of any neighborhood. Downtown Pittsfield is on the cusp of a Renaissance with new businesses and restaurants becoming a part of the downtown landscape. It is crucial to the continued momentum that downtown Pittsfield reflects an involved, caring business community.”

North Street Business owner Jeff Winslow of Wild Sage said of the graffiti clean-up, “The best way to continue our forward movement is to project signals of strength, pride, involvement, care and ownership within our downtown community. Nothing better begins the process than maintaining a clean and reputable environment.”

For comments or questions about this press release, please email coria.holland@jud.state.ma.us.