Police/Fire

Police Log: Taxi Stolen and Police Led on Chase, Shoplifters Stopped

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
July 21, 9:40 p.m.: The Probation Office contacted Watertown Police about a man who violated his GPS bracelet requirement. The 25-year-old Watertown man was arrested on the probation violation. July 23, 12:33 p.m.: Target security detained a man for shoplifting. He placed two vacuum cleaners into a cart and tried to leave the store.

Boston Marathon Bombing

3 Watertown Police Officers Honored for Facing Marathon Bombers

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Several of Watertown’s finest are going to have to make room in their trophy cases, next to their Medal of Valor and Top Cop awards, after receiving the Congressional Badge of Bravery Friday. U.S. Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Representatives Joe Kennedy and Katherine Clark, and U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz were on hand to bestow the medals to Sergeants John MacLellan, Jeffrey Pugliese, and officer Joseph Reynolds, who received the awards during a ceremony at the Watertown Police Station Friday. MacLellan, Pugliese, and Reynolds were three of the seven officers who engaged the Boston Marathon Bombers in a dramatic shootout that left one of them dead, and launched a massive manhunt for the other. Right before he watched the officers receive their medals, Town Manager Michael Driscoll said he has never been prouder in the 38 years he’s worked for the town. “To the men and women of the Watertown Police Department, thank you,” Driscoll said.

Police/Fire

Old Home Serves as Great Training Opportunity for Fire Department

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Many of the Watertown Fire Department’s training exercises are done in the fire station, but a home set to be demolished by a developer provided a rare and valuable venue for training. Over the past couple weeks, Watertown firefighters got a chance to get out their axes, saws and ladders and hack into a home on Harrington Avenue that will soon be demolished by a developer. “It gives us the opportunity to do things we have not done since the (fire) academy,” said Lt. David Meagher, the department’s training officer. Since the house will be torn down, the firefighters didn’t have to worry about taking it easy on the walls and roof. “We cut holes in the roof.

Police/Fire

Mt. Auburn Cemetery Evacuated While Police Searched for Suicidal Man

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Police evacuated Mount Auburn Cemetery after receiving a report that there was a man threatening to commit suicide inside, but the search did not locate anyone. The call came in at 5:47 p.m. Wednesday evening, said Watertown Police Lt. Michael Lawn. “We got information from a third party caller (forwarded from State Police) about a suicidal man inside the cemetery by the Charles River,” Lawn said. “We ended up evacuating Mount Auburn Cemetery, but we found nothing.” Watertown Police were joined by Cambridge Police officers and Massachusetts State Police troopers in the search of the cemetery, which lies in Watertown and Cambridge.

Government

Watertown Officials Discuss Plans to Battle Heroin, Opiates Crisis

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The Watertown will establishing an official drug drop box, and getting about 20 needle disposal boxes as the town works to combat scourge of drug overdoses that left eight people dead in Watertown this year. The Human Services Sub Committee met will officials from the Watertown Police and fire, the Watertown Board of Health, and local several nonprofits to discuss an outline the W.A.T.E.R.town Task Force’s action plan to combat substance abuse, Monday. Along with discussing the plan, town officials said that the drug drop box would be up and running at the Watertown Police Station in about two weeks, and that the sharps and needle disposal boxes would be placed at the police station, in town buildings, and potentially private business in the near future. In addition to the drug drop box, the Committee also passed a motion during their previous meeting to recommend that the town council recommend the town manager require patrol officers to carry the anti-overdose drug Narcan, and receive training in its use. The Town Council voted unanimously to make the recommendation to the Town Manager.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Busted with Drugs, Driver Arrested on Fourth OUI

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
July 13, 8:42 a.m.: A man stopped at Dunkin Donuts on Main Street to get a coffee. After he got the coffee he spilled some of it and left his change on the counter as he cleaned the spill, and when he returned the money – about $15 – was gone. A woman was spotted coming up behind him and taking the money off the counter and left the store. The man called police, who tracked the woman down at Main Street and Edenfield Avenue.

Letters

LETTER: Former Councilor Concerned About Process to Choose Police Chief

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Open letter :

I am respectfully requesting that the Town Councillors request that the Town Manager implement the standardized Civil service exam for Chief of Police. Watertown implemented the standardized exam for over 70 years when the Town Manager threw it out and replaced it with Role Playing and Assessment Center i.e. -when appointing Chief Deveau. It is most fair that a chief be chosen from the civil service exam based on Police knowledge. One of the questions asked in the role playing section to the applicants for Chief was : ‘How would you handle a complaint from a member of the Town Council? In fairness to anyone who applies-please request the Manager to return to the Standardized civil service exam that is also objective – not subjective.

Police/Fire

Downed Power Line Sparks Fire, Knocks Out Power

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A downed power line caused a small fire in the yard of a Watertown home on Thursday morning. At about 5:45 a.m., the electrical line fell onto the front lawn of a house on Spring Street near Fayette Street – a couple blocks from Watertown Square. Firefighters responded quickly but had to wait for an Eversource crew to come and shut off power before the flames could be doused. Power was cut in the neighborhood and a section of Spring Street was been closed while the line is repaired. Eversource restored power at about 8:45 a.m.