Police/Fire

Watertown’s Fallen Firefighter Added to Mass. Fallen Firefighter Memorial

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Yesterday afternoon Firefighter Joseph Toscano, who died in the line of duty in March, was added to the Ring of Honor at the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighter Memorial located behind the State House. #massachusetts #fire #lodd @massgovernor @the_pffm
A post shared by Capt. Ryan Nicholson (@watertownfire) on Sep 9, 2017 at 7:24am PDT

Watertown Firefighter Joseph Toscano’s name was added to the memorial to firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. Toscano died while fighting a fire on Merrifield Avenue on March 17, 2017. On Friday, his colleagues attended the ceremony at the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighters Memorial outside the State House in Boston. Gov. Charlie Baker spoke at the 1oth annual ceremony.

Police/Fire

Watertown Firefighters Pay Tribute to Those Lost on Sept. 11, 2001

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Members of the Watertown Fire Department stood at attention for a moment of silence Monday morning to pay respect to the 343 firefighters who died 16 years ago when the Twin Towers came down. During the brief ceremony, which has become a tradition at Watertown Fire Headquarters on the anniversary of 9/11, Firefighter Paul Locker rang the bell on a fire engine to mark the final alarm for the lost firefighters. Locker, a 29-year veteran firefighter, said he was working with an ambulance company on Sept. 11, 2001. “I got in at 8 a.m. and heard about the first plane.

2001

Watertown Fire Will Remember the Firefighters Lost in 9/11 Attacks

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On Monday morning, the Watertown Fire Department will honor the New York Firefighters lost in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Monday marks the 16th anniversary of the attacks and destruction of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. The Watertown Fire Department will hold a brief ceremony to remember the 343 FDNY firefighters lost on 9/11. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at Fire Headquarters on Main Street in Watertown Square.

Police/Fire

Former Watertown Police Officer Denied Pension After Judge Reverses Lower Court Ruling

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A former Watertown Police officer will be denied his pension after a ruling by a Middlesex Superior Court judge. Joseph Deignan, a Framingham resident who was a sergeant in the WPD, plead guilty to  using a person’s identification – which he obtained in his role as supervisor of the Traffic Division – to fraudulently get prescription drugs. He was arrested in December 2012 in Marlborough and plead guilty in Federal Court in August 2013 and was sentenced to three months in prison and was fined. As a result, in November 2013, the Watertown Retirement Board started proceeding to have Deignan’s pension forfeited because he was found guilty of “a criminal offense involving violation of laws applicable to his office or position,” according to court documents. Deignan appealed the decision in District Court, and a judge reversed the Retirement Board’s ruling in June 2015.

Arrests

Police Log: Car Thief Caught, Woman Busted on 4th OUI Charge

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
Aug. 21, 7:15 p.m.: An employee at Toyota of Watertown was moving a car onto Arsenal Street and when he opened the door a passing van struck the door and just missed the man. The white van kept going toward Brighton, and it had distinctive markings. Police stopped the van and found that the driver had a suspended license.

Police/Fire

Police Seek Suspect in Car Theft From Watertown on Tuesday Morning

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A car was stolen from Arsenal Street in Watertown early Tuesday, and crashed it a few miles away. 

The theft was reported to Watertown Police by a car transport truck driver at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, according to Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. The truck driver was picking up multiple vehicles from Lexus of Watertown when the 2013 Volkswagen was stolen. “The vehicle was left running and the suspect jumped in and fled at high rate of speed into Brighton, crashing on Western Ave.,” O’Connor said. “The vehicle was totaled.” The suspect left the scene of the accident and the driver did not get a good look at the suspect.

Police/Fire

Watertown Children Graduate from Middlesex Sheriff’s Youth Public Safety Academy

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The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) concluded the sixth and final week of the annual Youth Public Safety Academy (YPSA) on Friday, August 18, with a graduation ceremony at Chelmsford High, the Sheriff’s Office announced. Over 160 cadets, ages 8-12, from Burlington, Hudson, Cambridge & Watertown spent five days learning from members of the MSO, as well as local police and fire officials.  This is the 18th year of the YPSA program. “This program makes a real difference in the lives of Middlesex County families,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian. “Not only do hundreds of youngsters get to have a fun and safe summer experience, but more importantly they get to know the members of their local police and fire departments who they come to trust.”

The Youth Public Safety Academy is offered as a low-cost, educational camp for county residents. The camp runs in six, one-week sessions and graduates hundreds of cadets each year.