Police/Fire

Middlesex District Attorney Meets With Watertown Police in Effort to Cut Down Shoplifting

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Charlie BreitroseMiddlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan met with Watertown Police to focus on the rise in shoplifting in the area. Here she is pictured at an event where spoke at the Watertown Senior Center. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan joined a regular meeting between Watertown Police and security from local stores to find ways to curb the amount of shoplifting in town, and to prevent incidents from becoming more serious. Since 2022, the number of shopliftings in the City has steadily risen, with the vast majority occurring at the Watertown Mall and Arsenal Yards. In 2022, the WPD responded to around 400 shoplifting incidents, and in 2024 the number rose to 774, according to statistics collected by Watertown Police.

Police/Fire

Thief Steals $9,000 in Donations to Watertown Church

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Firefighters stand in the shadow of St. Patrick’s Church after Lt. Edward Walsh’s wake. Photo by Charlie Breitrose

Approximately $9,000 in donations were taken from St. Patrick’s Church, according to an announcement by the Watertown Police Department. The theft at the church located at 212 Main St., occurred at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct.

Around Town

Watertown Police Offering Free Kits for Drivers With Autism or Who are Neurodivergent

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The Watertown Police recently added a new resource for neurodivergent people and their families that could help prevent misunderstandings and even tragedies. The WPD has joined the Blue Envelope program. The program was started a few years ago by the Massachusetts State Police, and the kits are now available at the Watertown Police Station, said Watertown Police Officer Devon Shatkin. “It’s essentially fostering safer relationships between individuals with autism who are drivers on the road and police officers,” Shatkin said. ” So, we’ve seen a much increased frequency of those type of interactions, and they can be difficult, dangerous, stressful.

Government

Three Watertown Football Players Honored for Helping to Catch a Drunken Driver

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(Screenshot from Boston 25 News)

Three sharp-eyed and quick thinking Watertown High School football players were honored for their effort that helped police locate and arrest a drunken driver. On Oct. 14, the City Council approved a proclamation honoring Riaz Khan, Joel Montoya, and Boran Akisik. On Sept. 25, the three were on their way home after practice witnessed a hit and run incident at the intersection of Palfrey and Pearl streets.

Police/Fire

Three Deaths in Watertown Being Investigated as a Murder-Suicide Case, Couple Had a Baby

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The deaths by gunshot of three people on Boyd Street in Watertown are being investigated as a murder-suicide, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. The three were identified, and the DA’s office said the couple had a young child, who was not there at the time of the shootings. The bodies were discovered on Aug. 31. WCVB Channel 5 reported that District Attorney Marian Ryan said, the older woman lived on one floor of the home, while the other two lived together with their newborn baby on the bottom floor in a separate living area of the same unit, and that the baby was not present during the time of the shooting.

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Identify 2 Suspects for Recent Car Thefts & Break-ins

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An image of one of the suspects in a series of recent car thefts and break-ins around Watertown. (Courtesy of Watertown Police)

Two suspects in a string of motor vehicle thefts and car break-ins have been identified by the Watertown Police, who warn residents to lock their vehicles and be vigilant. On Monday, Sept. 1, Police said they made progress the case. “(Monday) we had a break in the case that resulted in two juvenile suspects being identified.