PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It was standing room only in the City Council Chambers on Tuesday night.

The room was filled with supporters of Frederick Conyers Jr., who was introduced as the city's newest firefighter.

 

Conyers was one of five names the mayor sent along to the council for appointment — joined by Michael Anthony, Max LaCasse, Jarrett Robitaille and Jesse Underwood-Miller — but his stood out because of controversy over his background.

 

Conyers served 3 1/2 years in prison after a 2003 arrest. Members of the firefighters union and some in the general public opposed his hiring because of his past.

 

On Tuesday, it was smooth sailing. Without discussion, the City Council accepted the report from the mayor and thanked the five firefighters for their support. The appointment led to a five-minute recess as the crowd cheered, hugged, and greeted Conyers.

 

For those in the audience, the moment wasn't simply about the hiring of a new firefighter — it was a moment of pride for the city for embracing the concept of redemption in the face of opposition.

 

"Once again Pittsfield and the Berkshires has made me happy to be here," said Warren Dews, minister of Price Memorial AME Zion Church. 

 

Dews said the appointment wasn't just about one person but about the entire city. It let everyone, especially young people, know that if you make a mistake, you can start again. The appointment shined a positive light on issues and disallowed the "darkness" to win out, he said. 

 

Conyers story was well publicized after Tyer and Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski held a press conference to share his story after opposition arose. He was raised in Pittsfield and had a promising basketball career. After three years playing basketball for the University of Massachusetts in Boston, he moved back home. It was then he started getting into trouble.

 

In 2003, Conyers was arrested for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and illegal possession of a firearm. He was sent to jail in Concord, transferred to Garner, and then back to Concord. He entered a pre-release program in Boston where prison officials got him a job at Home Depot. He transferred back home and later moved on to work for Unistress. For the last seven or so years, he's been a painter with Gentleman Painting. 

 

Paul Shepard, of Gentleman Painting, still remembers when he interviewed Conyers. He was still relatively fresh out of jail and had an edge to him, Shepard said. 

 

"He's not that man anymore. Anyone who says he is, is wrong," Shepard said. "I'm proud of my city to take a look at this kind of an issue and step forward ... I know firsthand what he is capable of. He is a very smart man. He is a hardworking man."

 

Conyers has changed in the last eight years or so since he started working for Shepar, he's changed. Now, he is a youth sports coach and family man. After getting some work history under his belt, he started to pursue the career he always wanted.

 

"When I was younger, there was a big fire. Three of my friends died in the fire. Since I was a kid it was something I always wanted to do but being that I was doing so good in basketball, I wanted to pursue it. When I got in trouble, I knew I had to get some work history under my belt to show the community and everybody that I had changed," Conyers said at the closed press conference last week. 

 

But the union membership and others opposed the hiring, raising questions of uncertainty about a lack of showing that he was in fact changed. The union wrote a letter saying other candidates had been bypassed in the Civil Service process for less and that any candidate with his history is ineligible for jobs at the Police Department or sheriff's department.

 

The union also raised concerns that the public perspective of the department would be viewed more negatively.

 

Nonetheless, Tyer and Czerwinski said Conyers earned the job "fair and square" and posted in the top five of on Civil Service exam and passed all of the other hiring tests with flying colors. The mayor said regardless of City Council support, Conyers was going to be hired.

 

Previously, the City Council had voted on the appointments. However, the mayor expressed her opinion that council approval for such hiring isn't needed. The approval at City Council was ceremonial and a formality. 

 

On Tuesday, all five appointments as well as the promotion of Matthew Kirchner to sergeant in the Pittsfield Police Department were listed as communications from the mayor and thus an approval vote from the council wasn't taken.

 

After accepting the report without comment every councilor found their way over to greet Conyers, who will begin his training later this month.