Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/category/policefire/page/2/)
The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Dec. 15: A package containing a suitcase was taken from the front porch of a home on Commonwealth Road. The value of the suitcase was $310. Dec.
Charlie Breitrose
On Dec. 22, Watertown firefighters responded to a reported fire in the kitchen of an apartment in a multi-unit residential building on Main Street. The fire originated in the cooking area and extended into nearby cabinets, said Watertown Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson. “Prior to the arrival of firefighters, the resident made a valiant attempt to extinguish the fire using a fire extinguisher,” Nicholson said. “When the fire could not be safely controlled, the resident evacuated the apartment and notified emergency services.
Two people died Tuesday during a multi-vehicle accident in East Watertown. The crash occurred after a funeral service in Watertown. First responders were called to Bigelow Avenue at around noon on Dec. 23 for a motor vehicle accident. “Upon arrival, it was determined that two individuals had succumbed to their injuries as a result of the collision,” police said in a statement to WBZ Channel 4.
The Watertown Fire Department is hiring firefighter-paramedics, and is starting alternative pathways to be hired. Find out more at an upcoming information session. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. The City of Watertown is launching a new alternative pathway program for qualified and interested individuals to join the Watertown Fire Department (WFD) as a Firefighter-Paramedic. The City is excited to introduce the Local Register program, a newly approved hiring process from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Human Resources Division that will supplement the existing Civil Service examination system.
Watertown’s contract with the Flock Safety company for eight license plate reading cameras was signed in September, but City officials are working on changing the section covering when data will be shared with other law enforcement. Meanwhile, a neighboring community terminated its contract with Flock, and another is determining its own policy for using the cameras. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting City Manager George Proakis provided a further update about the Flock cameras. During the previous Council meeting, on Nov. 25, he said that the data from the cameras, which take photos of plates but do not have a live feed, will be used only as part of an ongoing investigation.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Nov. 23: A dresser and a bookcase were dumped on the side of Main Street. Nov. 26: Officer Mike Grzelcyk responded to a Watertown home to serve a warrant.
In the next few weeks the Watertown Police Department will have access to new equipment that can capture images of license plates of passing cars. The technology is intended to help with criminal investigations, but some have expressed concerns about how it will be used, including the ACLU of Massachusetts. City Manager George Proakis provided information about the Flock Safety program to the City Council on Nov. 25. The Flock system was approved in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget and eight cameras will be installed on major roadways in Watertown.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Nov. 12: An employee of the Oakley Country Club reported that someone had cashed 12 fraudulent checks from the Club’s account for $620. It appears a check was fished from the mail after being mailed from a standalone sidewalk. Nov.