Police Department

Message from the Chief

Welcome to the Bernardston Police Department’s website. This is one way we reach out to the community to let them know who we are and what we do.  We also have a Facebook page. Please like and follow us there for more immediate information.

The officers of the Bernardston Police Department are committed to providing professional policing in partnership with our community to earn the respect of all individuals.  The officers are well-trained, knowledgeable and fulfill their duties and responsibilities with fairness and equality.

We strive to safeguard freedom by preserving life, protecting the constitutional rights of individuals, and encouraging respect for the rule of law by the proper enforcement thereof.

The philosophy of Community Policing is defined as the proactive development of partnerships between the police and citizens that leads to effective policing services to all neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and individual citizens in the community.

It is my belief, by incorporating a Community Policing approach, it helps us to identify, address and resolve the root causes of neighborhood problems and concerns.

Respectfully,
Chief James E. Palmeri

Who We Are

We are a small rural police department, serving the towns of Bernardston and Leyden.  We are located in the northern section of Franklin County, Massachusetts and border the State of Vermont.  We are the primary law enforcement agency for the Towns.  We investigate all crimes, enforce motor vehicle violations and have the ability to respond to all types of calls.  We work in coordination with the Northwestern District Attorny’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit for larger, major crimes.

Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence or family violence is the abuse of power or control. It is behavior used by one person to control another through force or threats. A batterer makes a choice to strike, hit, kick, punch or threaten the victim.

Domestic violence includes physical and sexual attacks and threats. These violent acts are criminal and the batterer can be prosecuted for committing them. The acts are a means of controlling the victim’s thoughts, feelings and behavior. The violence does not lessen over time. The threats and /or beatings generally happen more often with time, last longer and cause greater physical injuries.

Emotional abuse and insulting words are almost always part of the abuse pattern, but are not considered criminal acts. The wounds from these injuries, however, may be more difficult to heal.

Domestic violence is not caused by or provoked by the actions or inaction’s of the victim. Alcohol or drug abuse, depression, lack of money, lack of a job, mental illness or abuse as a child does not directly cause domestic violence. However, existing problems often create additional stress in a relationship and may increase the risk of violence. Many abusers blame the victim or other things for their violent acts and do not take responsibility for the abusive behavior. There is never an excuse for violence.

Frequent Questions about Domestic Violence