A surprising Facebook post from a local police department is creating a lot of waves.

On Monday night, the Blandford Police Department posted that the department is without any officers after they all resigned -- the entire department.

"Attention Blandford residents: If you have a police, fire or medical emergency, please continue to call 911 as you normally would," the post read from the Blandford PD Facebook page. "Until further notice, please call the Russell State Police Barracks at 413-862-3312 if you need any other police services. The entire Blandford Police Department resigned this evening, effective immediately."

The reasoning behind the resignation is due to unsafe working conditions, according to Interim Police Chief Roberta Sarnacki and the three other officers.

"For some time we have been dealing with unsafe working conditions. Policing is inherently dangerous, however it has been made much (more) so by our town's administration," said the officers in a release. Blandford is just outside of Berkshire County.

The safety concerns include cruisers barely being able to run, bullet proof vests that don't fit and are expired, radio communication being spotty in different parts of town and the understaffing of the department as a whole.

There had been discussions leading towards the Blandford and the neighboring Chester police departments merging. In the meantime, six officers from the Hampden County Sheriff's Office will take over in Blandford.

 

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