Police/Fire

Five Watertown Firefighters Receive Promotions, One Appointed

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Watertown Fire Chief Bob Quinn announced several promotions made in the Watertown Fire Department, and a firefighter has been added to the WFD. The Fire Department sent out the following information:

The Chief of Department is pleased to announce that Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll has made the following promotions effective Sunday, July 12, 2020:

View this post on Instagram The Chief of Department is pleased to announce that Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll has made the following promotions effective Sunday, July 12, 2020: Firefighter Glen McManus to Permanent Fire Lieutenant Lieutenant Michael Anastasi to Temporary Fire Captain Firefighter Ralph Mele to Temporary Fire Lieutenant Firefighter Jason Capello to Temporary Fire Lieutenant Firefighter Jeffrey Pugliese Jr. to Temporary Fire Lieutenant Please join us in wishing these members continued success in their new positions. @watertownmagov A post shared by Deputy Chief Ryan Nicholson (@watertownfire) on Jul 12, 2020 at 6:59am PDT

Firefighter Glen McManus to Permanent Fire LieutenantLieutenant Michael Anastasi to Temporary Fire CaptainFirefighter Ralph Mele to Temporary Fire LieutenantFirefighter Jason Capello to Temporary Fire LieutenantFirefighter Jeffrey Pugliese Jr. to Temporary Fire Lieutenant

Please join us in wishing these newly promoted Fire Officers continued success in their new positions. The Town Manager’s office also sent out the following annoucement:

“We are pleased to announce that Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll has appointed Mr. Christopher Fidler as a Firefighter for the Town of Watertown, effective Sunday, July 12, 2020.”

Police/Fire

Police Log: Customer Gets in Altercation for Not Wearing Mask, Man Caught Trying to Get into Cars

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrest

July 3, 6:35 a.m.: Police received reports of a man pulling on door handles on Westminster Avenue near Bemis Street. The witness saw the man pulling on a door handle of a Honda SUV, and then tried to get into the hatchback, but both were locked. Officers located a man fitting the suspect’s description. The man said he took a taxi to town to visit his sister, and said he thought the vehicle was his sister’s.

Around Town

Police Log: Suspect Caught With Items Taken from Vehicles, Man Busted for Stealing Plants

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

None

Incidents

Between June 22 and June 28, the Watertown Police Department received six reports of an unemployment scheme. The residents report that they got letters about their unemployment applications, but they had never filed for benefits. Unemployment fraud can be reported to the Department of Unemployment Assistance by clicking here. June 22, 6:04 a.m.: Police were called when a witness saw someone trying to get into the window of an Audi SUV on Waverley Avenue.

Police/Fire

Coyote Attacks Dog, Takes it From Porch of Watertown Home

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A coyote. Watertown Police warned residents to watch their pets after a resident reported that her dog had been attacked and taken from her front porch by a coyote. The dog’s body was later found by Police. The attack occurred Tuesday night at a home on Langdon Avenue. The owner had put her Bijon Shitsu, Moogie, on her front porch.

Fiscal Year 2021

Council Approves Town Budget Which Includes 2nd Mental Health Specialist for the Police

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Funding for a second mental health clinician was added to the Watertown Police Department as part of the $152 million Town Budget approved by the Town Council this week. Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced the addition of $45,000 for the clinician at Monday night’s Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2021 budget. The move was made after the Council’s budget hearing held on June 24, when several people requested the Town ad more mental health professionals and to do so by reducing the Police Department’s budget. Driscoll said the new position would be funded using money left in the Town’s Free Cash fund at the end of Fiscal Year 2020, so it did not come out of the WPD’s budget. After last week’s meeting, Driscoll spoke with Watertown Police Chief Michael Lawn about adding another clinician, who would also work with the WPD’s jail diversion program.

Police/Fire

Lightning Strike Damages Watertown Home, Sets it on Fire

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A lightning strike during the strong storm that hit Watertown Sunday put a hole in the roof of a home near Watertown Square and set the structure on fire. The June 28th storm caused some flooding in areas of town, but Watertown Fire Chief Bob Quinn said the lightning strike was the only fire that the department had to respond to during the foul weather. “It was a freak of luck the way it worked out,” Quinn said. “We are thankful that the people who were in the house were fine.” Residents called 911 after their three-story, two-family home at 130 Mt.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Fight Breaks Out on Mt. Auburn St., Deli Worker Attacked by Shopper

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Arrests

None

Incidents

Between June 13 and June 21, the Watertown Police Department received 10 reports of an unemployment scheme. The residents report that they got letters about their unemployment applications, but they had never filed for benefits. Unemployment fraud can be reported to the Department of Unemployment Assistance by  clicking here. June 15, 6:52 a.m.: A man who owns a property management company was notified by an employee in Canton that the employee’s vehicle tires were slashed, and the Canton Police were investigating. The man went out of his home on Channing Road and checked his work truck.

Government

Funding of Watertown Police, Requests to Divert Some of Budget Discussed at Council Hearing

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How the Watertown Police Department’s budget is used, and whether there are other ways the money could be spent became a major topic of discussions of Wednesday night’s Fiscal Year 2021 Town Budget Hearing. The WPD budget was just one of many departmental budgets discussed during the hearing, but it garnered the interested of Councilors and members of the public, many of whom wanted to see a portion spent on mental health services provided by the town instead. The meeting was held remotely over Zoom. The Police Department’s budget of $10.3 million makes up 6.76 percent of the Town’s operating budget. The WPD has 70 police officers (including 52 patrol officers), nine dispatchers and four civilian employees, as well as the school crossing guards.