North Adams Selects Lt. Jason Wood as City’s New Police Chief

The North Adams police department's second in command will take the reins as chief.

The Berkshire Eagle  reports Lt. Jason R. Wood has been appointed to succeed outgoing Police Chief Michael Cozzaglio, Mayor Thomas Bernard announced on Wednesday.

Wood is a North Adams native who joined the force as a full-time patrol officer in 2003, making his way up the ranks to sergeant in 2014 and then as acting lieutenant in 2017. He was permanently appointed to the lieutenant position earlier this year and will be sworn in as chief on May 1, with a public swearing in ceremony slated for May 3.

Wood graduated from Drury High School and has an associate degree in criminal justice from Berkshire Community College.

He beat out two other finalists for the job — Bryan Terzian, a captain with the Ridgefield (Conn.) Police Department, and Jamie Berger, a detective sergeant with the Wayland Police Department.

Wood faces a series of challenges as he takes over the department, including an ongoing opioid epidemic and high rates of domestic violence. There are currently a number of unfilled positions within the department, while the city's crumbling public safety building is not handicap-accessible with no immediate solution in reach.

The new chief will also continue to guide the department as it transitions out of the Civil Service system in an effort to improve its flexibility when hiring new officers.