Police/Fire

Watertown Police Announce Two Promotions, 1 Lieutenant and 1 Sergeant

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Watertown Police DepartmentTwo Watertown Police officers recently received promotions: Lt. Tom Grady (left) and Sgt. Eric Garabedian. The Watertown Police Department announced its newest lieutenant and sergeant, who were honored in a promotion ceremony last week. Tom Grady was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant and Eric Garabedian was promoted from officer to sergeant. Help us congratulate WPD's newest Lt & Sgt.

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Investigating Shooting Overnight on the Westside of Town

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Watertown Police responded to the site of a shooting in the early hours of May 24. They seek a suspect in the incident in which no one was injured. The call came in about 3 a.m. on Monday about possible gun shots in the Lexington Gardens neighborhood, said Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. “Shortly after the police arrival, it was determined that a residence on Philip Darch Road was shot at several times,” O’Connor said in a statement on Monday afternoon. “The occupants were home sleeping at the time of the incident and no one was injured.”

Homepage Featured

Police Log: Two Pricy Bikes Stolen from Hotel, Fraudulent Checks Written

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrest

May 10, 11:50 a.m.: A man that had been trespassed from the Watertown Mall came back to the mall. Police were called and employees pointed the man out to them. The man had been sent a trespass order after being told to leave because he was unwanted. He had also been drinking alcohol in the Mall.

Police/Fire

Watertown Man Injured After Being Hit by Truck in Waltham

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A 63-year-old man from Watertown went to the hospital after being struck by a truck in Waltham on Wednesday. The accident occurred just before 7 a.m. at the intersection of Main and Bacon streets. The man was taken to hospital and is in critical conditions, according to a report from NBC 10 Boston. The large truck was driven by a 27-year-old man from Norton. No charges have been filed, and the incident remains under investigation.

21st Century Policing

OP-ED: Who Gets to Reform the Police?

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“Owning your own narrative” is a common expression used in business, in politics, and in private life where personal reputation is at stake. Owning your narrative means ensuring that what is told about you matches the way you’d like it to be told, without distortions, mischaracterization, half-truths, or false perceptions. If you are waging a battle in the arena of public opinion, and others succeed in owning your narrative, you have lost the battle. If you are paying even the slightest attention to town politics, you are aware that there is a police crisis in Watertown, centered around alleged racist behavior regarding stops, citations, and arrests. In my opinion — and I believe in the opinion of the vast majority of residents — this is an invented crisis.

Homepage Featured

Police Log: Vehicle Stolen from Construction Site in Town, Perfume Stolen from Beauty Store

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

None

Incidents

May 3, 3:41 p.m.: The owner of a work vehicle left in Watertown was informed that the vehicle had been involved in an incident in Walpole. The 2005 Ford pickup had been parked at a construction site on Howard Street on April 30, and the following day Walpole Police stopped the vehicle and found that the driver did not have a driver’s license and it was towed. At the time, Walpole Police did not know the vehicle had been stolen. When they realized it was stolen they contacted the owner.

Police/Fire

Fire Damages Apartment in Large Complex South of the Charles River

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A fire started in an apartment in an apartment complex on Watertown Street on Wednesday, but was doused before it spread within the unit or to other apartments. The Watertown Fire Department received the fire alarm at 1:31 p.m. on Wednesday. The fire began in the kitchen area of a unit in the Watertown Square Apartments, located at 20 Watertown Street. No one was home when the fire began, but it was discovered by an alert employee, said Watertown Fire Capt. Eric Allen, the WFD’s Fire Investigator. “There was a maintenance worker that was on the roof of the building that saw smoke coming out of one of the vents,” Allen said.

Police/Fire

Watertown Firefighter Graduates from Massachusetts Firefighting Academy

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Watertown Firefighter Christopher Filder graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy on May 7. The following announcement was provide by the Watertown Fire Department and the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy:

Firefighter Christopher Fidler graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy Training 10 week training program on May 7, announced Watertown Fire Chief Robert Quinn. 

“Firefighter Fidler will return to work (this) week to serve the citizens of Watertown,” Quinn said. “We are very excited to have him back.” The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy provided the following information about the training that Fidler and the other graduates received:

State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey and Deputy State Fire Marshal Maribel Fournier announced the graduation of 34 firefighters from 15 fire departments completed the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program on May 7, 2021. Class #291 trained at the Stow campus and Class #BW10 trained at the Bridgewater campus.