Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/category/policefire/page/13/)
Former Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor is pinned as Stoneham Police Chief by his father, James. (Courtesy of Stoneham Police Department)
A former member of the Watertown Police Department has become the Police Chief of the Stoneham Police Department. Watertown-native, and longtime WPD officer James “Jamie” O’Connor was sworn in as the Stoneham Police Chief on Oct. 10. He was a lieutenant when he left Watertown.
The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:
POSITION VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHER, POLICE DEPARTMENT
Required Qualifications: High School diploma (or GED) and experience dealing with and speaking to the public is required. Ability to become certified in Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), must obtain E-911 certification and LEAPS/NCIC certification, complete on the job training and basic dispatch training as required by the Municipal Police Training Committee.
Knowledge and skills: Dispatching experience and familiarity with Watertown streets a plus. Working knowledge of computers and electronic data processing; basic understanding of emergency operations; basic knowledge of administrative practices. Work Environment: Work is performed with moderate noise levels; position can involve stressful situations; the employee is required to work nights, weekends and/or holiday schedules. The employee operates a computer, radio, telephone, dispatching equipment, and standard office equipment.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
None
Incident
Sept. 25, 10 a.m.: A man and woman walked into Nike on Sept. 21 at about 7:30 p.m. The woman began grabbing clothing, while the man took a shoe box off the shelf along with other items, and they walked out of the store without paying. The merchandise was valued at $542.
The Watertown Fire Department sent out the following annoucement:
Come join us for some fun, food, and live demonstrations. Learn about fire safety and what you can do to keep your friends, family, and pets safe. Watertown Fire Department Open House: Saturday, October 14, 2023, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Watertown Fire Department Children’s Art Contest
This contest is open to all Watertown Elementary School students. We would like to see your best Fire Department themed drawings. Please include your name, your parent/guardian’s name, phone number and email address.
Perkins School for the Blind went into lockdown after the school received a threatening phone call on Tuesday morning. The School shifted to shelter in place while the school was searched by Watertown Police, who cleared the school to go back to normal activities at about 2:45 p.m.
The Watertown Police announced on social media that the phone call came in at around 10:45 a.m. and school officials contacted the police. At about 1 p.m. Watertown Police released a statement saying, in part: “We responded and are currently working with school officials to ensure the safety of the students and staff. As a precautionary measure Perkins initiated a lockdown. This is an ongoing investigation, and we will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
St. Stephens Armenian Apostolic Church in East Watertown. (Courtesy of St. Stephen’s Church)
Watertown Police are investigating a suspicious message taped to a sign outside St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church Monday morning that refers to the region of Artsakh, where Armenians have been under attack in recent days by Azerbaijan.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
(For Aug. 7-27)
Aug 8, 12:30 a.m.: An officer patrolling in Watertown Square ran the plates of a grey BMW and discovered the vehicle had a revoked registration. The vehicle was pulled over and the officer confirmed the owner was driving. The man said he had purchased the vehicle from a friend.
As he prepares to hire the next Watertown Police Chief, City Manager George Proakis heard the priorities of the members of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee as well as the public on Monday night. The hiring of the Police Chief will follow the Civil Service process, Proakis said, and the first step is running an assessment center, where candidates will be tested on how they perform in real world situations. The assessment center is scheduled to take place in October, Proakis said, which means a new chief should be hired this fall. Jack Parow, founder and principal of Parow Consulting & Associates, said the assessment center will include multiple scenarios, such as a problem employee, a media exercise, an inbox exercise where the candidates respond to emails and letters, and a problem-solving exercise where all the candidates will work together. Each scenario will be tailored to Watertown, and will include issues that arise in departments like Watertown’s, or even issues from the past or that have come up in surveys of Police officers and the public.