Government

Town Manager Appoints a Provisional Police Chief to Replace Deveau

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With Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau retiring, the Police Department will be led by an provisional Police Chief. Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced last week that he has appointed Capt. Raymond DuPuis to serve as provisional chief until a new one is appointed. DuPuis will start his new role on July 8. DuPuis has been in the department since 1983 and was in the same Police Academy class as Deveau. Currently, DuPuis is one of two captains on the Watertown Police Department and leads the bureau of field operations.He oversees the Patrol and Traffic Divisions as well as the Public Safety Dispatchers.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Two Teenage Girls Attack Counselor at Target and More

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
June 22, 6:36 a.m.: Police arrested a man who was wanted for a warrant. The 25-year-old Watertown man was arrested for the warrant from Dedham District Court for a probation violation for a GPS device violation. June 22, 1:20 p.m.: Detectives spotted a man driving who they knew had a suspended license. The 27-year-old Brighton man was charged with driving with an suspended license, driving an uninsured motor vehicle, driving an unregistered motor vehicle and driving with a revoked registration.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Watertown Police Chief Has Some Regrets About Handling of Capture of Bomber

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Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau told the Boston Globe about some of the regrets he had about how the capture of Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokar Tsarnaev was handled in April 2013. Deveau said that many of the officers that responded after the shootout got in the way. He also said most were not trained in SWAT tactics, which led to some confusion during the capture of Tsarnaev in the boat on Franklin Street, reports the Globe’s Jaclyn Reiss. When the call went out that the suspect was in the boat, there was confusion with who was in charge of what, Deveau said. Also, many did not have proper equipment for such a tactical situation.

Police/Fire

Man Wanted for Series of Flashing Incidents Arrested in Watertown

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Watertown Police arrested a man who allegedly exposed himself to women numerous times at bus stops in the area. 

A woman alerted police that the man was sitting at a bus stop on Arsenal Street, said Watertown Police Lt. Michael Lawn. “Power were approached by a woman who said there was a male party at the bus stop and had exposed himself numerous times in the past and is at the bust stop,” Lawn said. When officers approached the man, he began to walk away, Lawn said. They finally stopped him and found that he had warrants from Waltham District Court for six counts of indecent exposure, Lawn said. Laurie F. Galusha, 75, of Hyde Park, was arrested on the warrants and for one count of open and gross lewdness for a prior incident in Watertown, Lawn said.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Father, Daughter Caught Shoplifting; Man Arrested After Leaving Accident

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. 
Arrests
June 20, 12:18 a.m.: Police investigated a accident where a vehicle struck a light pole on North Beacon Street at Irving Street. Officers found the vehicle unattended, but while they were at the scene a man returned to the accident. Police asked him what he was doing there and he said he had been a passenger and was coming back to get something out of the car. He would not reveal the name of the driver. Police found he had four default warrants for multiple charges ranging from property damage and driving under the influence of drugs.

Police/Fire

UPDATED: Firefighters Say Town Manager’s Statement on Contract Was ‘Deceiving’

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{Updated: The previous version of this story incorrectly stated the number of years the Watertown Firefighters have not had an agreement. It has been nearly six years}

The Firefighters responded to Town Manager Michael Driscoll’s statement about the fire contract negotiations, saying his words were deceiving and that they had been willing to give up parts of their contract. 

At the June 9 Town Council, Driscoll responded to the statements made by Local 1347 – the Watertown fire union – and their supporters about the prolonged contract negotiations. The firefighters have been working nearly six years without a contract agreement. During the Public Forum at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, Al Morash – secretary of the Fire Union – said that Driscoll’s statement was “deceiving.” Paul Lafauci, a firefighter who took part in the negotiations, said that he started to go through the statement to highlight inaccuracies.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Watertown Police Chief Reacts to Tsarnaev’s Apology

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Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau said he was disappointed by the apology of convicted Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, adding that his words “rang hollow.” Tsarnaev finally spoke publicly during the sentencing hearing on Wednesday in Boston Federal Court. He was officially sentenced to death by Federal Court Judge George O’Toole who said “Tsarnaev he had embraced a cruel God, heeded the jihadist ‘siren song’ and engaged in “monstrous self-deception” to carry out the bombings,” according to CNN. In his statement Tsarnaev apologized and admitted to carrying out the bombing. He also referred to how he became award of the victims.

“I am sorry for the lives that I’ve taken, for the suffering that I’ve caused you, for the damage that I’ve done — irreparable damage …”

Police/Fire

A Man Wielding a Gun Robbed a Watertown Business

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A Watertown gas station was robbed at gunpoint by a man wearing a mask and dark clothing. 

On June 20 after 9 p.m. a man robbed Belmont Street Auto Service on Belmont Street in Watertown, said Watertown Police Sgt. Tom Grady. “A worker was approached by an African-American male, average build, wearing a black and white mask, a black winter hat, a black jacket, black pants and white sneakers,” Grady said. An unknown amount of cash was taken from the gas station. “The suspect fled on foot toward Arlington Street,” Grady said.