Police/Fire

Pair Who Robbed Watertown 7-Eleven Arrested and Arraigned

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Watertown Police announced Thursday that they identified and charged a man and a woman as suspects in the robbery of the 7-Eleven in East Watertown. Theresa Brown out of Somerville and David Walker out of Boston were arrested Wednesday night tonight in Somerville without incident and charged with armed robbery, according to Watertown Police. They were arraigned Thursday morning at Waltham District Court on a charged of armed robbery with a mask. The robbery took place on Oct. 16 at 3:15 a.m. when two suspects threatened a store employee saying they had firearms. They stole merchandise and money from the store, the Watertown Police announcement said.

Police/Fire

Former Watertown Lieutenant Sworn in as Stoneham Police Chief

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Former Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor is pinned as Stoneham Police Chief by his father, James. (Courtesy of Stoneham Police Department)

A former member of the Watertown Police Department has become the Police Chief of the Stoneham Police Department. Watertown-native, and longtime WPD officer James “Jamie” O’Connor was sworn in as the Stoneham Police Chief on Oct. 10. He was a lieutenant when he left Watertown.

Around Town

Meet Firefighters and Police Officers at Safety First Family Event

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The following information was provided by Watertown Families Together:

Young children and their caregivers are invited to a “SAFETY FIRST” event on Oct. 12 at 10 a.m.

The event is at Brigham House Assisted Living Residence, 341 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown.  Enjoy:

• Music with Ruth

• A visit with the Watertown Firefighters and Watertown Police. Climb into their vehicles. See what it feels like to help keep Watertown and its residents safe. • A take-home craft

• A treat or two

• Many more surprises

This program is brought to you by a grant from the Marshall Home Fund, Brigham House and Watertown Families Together

Police/Fire

Perkins School Sheltered in Place After Getting Threatening Phone Call

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Perkins School for the Blind went into lockdown after the school received a threatening phone call on Tuesday morning. The School shifted to shelter in place while the school was searched by Watertown Police, who cleared the school to go back to normal activities at about 2:45 p.m.

The Watertown Police announced on social media that the phone call came in at around 10:45 a.m. and school officials contacted the police. At about 1 p.m. Watertown Police released a statement saying, in part: “We responded and are currently working with school officials to ensure the safety of the students and staff. As a precautionary measure Perkins initiated a lockdown. This is an ongoing investigation, and we will provide additional information as it becomes available.”

Police/Fire

Council’s Public Safety Committee Gives Priorities for New Police Chief

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As he prepares to hire the next Watertown Police Chief, City Manager George Proakis heard the priorities of the members of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee as well as the public on Monday night. The hiring of the Police Chief will follow the Civil Service process, Proakis said, and the first step is running an assessment center, where candidates will be tested on how they perform in real world situations. The assessment center is scheduled to take place in October, Proakis said, which means a new chief should be hired this fall. Jack Parow, founder and principal of Parow Consulting & Associates, said the assessment center will include multiple scenarios, such as a problem employee, a media exercise, an inbox exercise where the candidates respond to emails and letters, and a problem-solving exercise where all the candidates will work together. Each scenario will be tailored to Watertown, and will include issues that arise in departments like Watertown’s, or even issues from the past or that have come up in surveys of Police officers and the public.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Scammer Sells a Fake Kitten, Employee Busted for Stealing Merchandise

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

Aug 28, 12:48 a.m.: An officer on a traffic detail saw a vehicle with no headlights on and the hazard lights blinking driving on Mt. Auburn Street near Arlington Street. The vehicle struck the curb while pulled into the parking lot at 7-Eleven. When the vehicle left, the driver swerved across the double yellow line, and then went back onto the correct side.