Police/Fire

Proposal to Add Staff for Second Ambulance Will be Discussed by Council Committee

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The Watertown Fire Department has requested adding enough paramedics to run a second ambulance. Currently, the Fiscal Year 2026 budget does not include the money for the eight paramedics, but the request will be discussed by a City Council committee. On Tuesday, April 29, the City Council’s Committee on Budget & Fiscal Oversight will continue its discussion of the proposal to add eight paramedics. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Third Floor Conference Room in City Hall and will also have remote participation. See the agenda and links here.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Arrested for Having Child Pornography, Credit Card Scam Foiled, Drink Thrown at Food Delivery Driver

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. April 1: Police received a report of a disturbance between a food delivery man and a customer. A Warren Street resident ordered food on GrubHub and when the driver arrived he asked the resident for a confirmation code. The resident said he requested a contactless delivery, and did not have a code. The driver said the resident got upset and threw a fountain drink in his face.

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Arrest Man Suspected of Having Child Pornography

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A Watertown man faces charges of possession of child pornography after an investigation by Watertown Police. Police, working with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force searched a home in West Watertown on Wednesday and took Patrick Athridge into custody. Watertown Police posted the following announcement on social media on April 3, 2025 at 12:30 p.m.:

Chief Justin Hanrahan announces that on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at approximately 6:00 PM in the West End of Watertown members of the Watertown Police Department, in collaboration with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, executed a search warrant in Watertown. As a result of the investigation, Mr. Patrick Athridge was taken into custody and charged with possession of child pornography. Mr. Athridge is scheduled to be arraigned later today in Waltham District Court.

Police/Fire

Council Committee Exploring Cost of Adding a Second Fire Department-Run Ambulance

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The Watertown Fire Department has run its own ambulance since 1975, and has offered paramedic service since 2017. The one ambulance cannot always cover all the calls, however, and the City Council is looking at whether to add a second ambulance. Currently, when the WFD’s ambulance is not available, Watertown uses Pro EMS, a private ambulance company in Cambridge. Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson told the City Council’s Committee of the Budget and Fiscal Oversight that there is a significant difference in response time depending on which ambulance is dispatched. “Regarding response times, National Fire Protection Association standards require emergency medical services to respond within 9 minutes 90 percent of the time,” Nicholson said, according to the Committee report.

Police/Fire

Two Protesters Struck by Truck Mirror Near Tesla Facility, No Serious Injuries Occurred

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Two people were struck by a vehicle’s side mirror during a protest at the Tesla repair facility on Pleasant Street in Watertown Saturday. No serious injuries were reported. Watertown Police officers, who were on the scene of what is becoming a weekly protest, attended to the two people struck. Both refused medical treatment, according to the statement from the WPD. Police also identified a suspect, but no further information was released.

Police/Fire

Third Group of Suspects in Busted Multi-State Brothel Identified

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A third set of alleged customers of a multi-state prostitution ring that used local luxury apartments, including in Watertown, were revealed on Friday. Among the apartment buildings in which the brothel operated out of was Blvd & Bond apartments in Arsenal Yards in Watertown, as well as buildings in Watertown, Cambridge, Dedham Virginia and California. The 10 men identified in court Friday, according to NBC10 Boston, include: Amrit Chaudhuri of Brookline, Mitchell Rubenstein of Chestnut Hill, Marshall Berenson of Cambridge, Harmanpreet Singh of Woburn, Kenneth Posco of Fitchburg, George Wu of Needham, Patrick Enright of Wakefield, Suren Chelian of Lexington, Sankara Asapu of Malden, and John Cascarano of Hingham. The Boston Globe reported that the court “identified a complaint that police sought” against Paul J. Urban of East Bridgewater. He did not receive the proper summons, so his hearing will take place on April 25.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Multiple Shoplifters Arrested, Victim Thinks Tires Were Slashed Due to Political Sticker, Child’s Bike Stolen

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. March 20: Someone entered the lobby of an office on Main Street and took two laptops — a MacBook and a Dell — each of which was valued at $500. March 20: A person went into Best Buy to buy a 65-inch TV that cost $2,300. The transaction was not complete but the person loaded the TV into a Subaru Forester and drove away. Police are investigating.