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Home My Public Portal AboutPolice Newsletter - Nov- Dec 07Watertown Police Department Volume 2, Issue 5 November/ December 2007 Computer safety tips: • This type of fraud generally stems from people who are selling items on the internet. • It is then virtually impossible to trace this money back to a suspect. • Many Watertown residents have be- come victims of this type of fraud. Inside this issue: Meet the Officers 2 Snow's coming 2 New Police 2 Station Car Seat 3 Installations Haunted House 3 Pictures New website 3 design Happy Holidays 4 WPD Newsletter Internet Fraud The Watertown Police Department would like to alert you to a type of internet fraud that we have seen on numerous occasions in this area. This type of fraud gen- erally stems from people who are selling items on the inter - net. Many of the cases we have seen revolve around the sale of automobiles over the internet (i.e. Craig list, EBay etc). A person will respond by email that they are inter- ested in purchasing the vehi- cle and agree to the sales price. They inform the seller that they will send a check to them for the price of the ve- hicle plus the costs for ship- ping the vehicle. If the car is being sold for three thousand dollars, they will send a check for five thousand dollars, three for the car and two to cover the shipping. They instruct the seller that when the check clears, to wire them back the two thousand dol- lars for the shipping. The victim deposits the check and initially sees the funds in their account. The money then gets wired back to the buyer, mostly out of state and in some cases out of the coun- try. After a few days the bank then realizes that the check is counterfeit. The seller has now been scammed out of two thousand dollars. It is then virtually impossible to trace this money back to a suspect. Many Watertown resi- dents have become victims of this type of fraud. This oc- curs not only with cars but also with other items for sale on the internet. Recently there have been numerous apartment and commercial property rentals associated with this type of scam. We have spoken with the local Western Union outlets in the area and asked them to be alert for this type of scam. They have been helpful in stopping some potential scams. In conclusion, anytime you are asked to wire back money to a person or com- pany that you do not know, it should raise a red flag that this is a scam. You should not have to cash a check and wire back money to anyone you do not know. If you have a question or think you might being scammed contact your local police department before you become a victim. Prepared by Det. Lt. Michael Lawn All -Night Parking Ban Although there is a maximum two hour limit for on -street parking all year long, the "All Night Parking Ban" is enforced from No- vember 1st to April 1St. No motor vehicle is to be parked on any public way in Water- town for more than one hour from 1AM to 6AM. Strict enforcement usually starts the first Sunday following Thanksgiving, but is subject to change depending on weather conditions. In order to assure that the Department of Public Works is able to clear the streets during a snowstorm is the reason that the parking ban is strictly enforced during the winter months. Meet the Officers Off. Joe Reynolds has been a life long resident of Watertown and has attended all Watertown public schools. He grew up on the East end (Boylston St.) before moving to West end (Partridge St.) shortly before high school. After high school he attended Worcester State College where he earned his BA in Health Education. While he was in college he played college bas- ketball. - Of c . Reynolds Not long after graduating college, he attended and graduated from the M.B.T.A. Police Academy. In September 2006 he was sworn in as a full-time police officer for the Watertown Po- lice Department and is cur- rently working a rotating night shift as a patrol officer. In his spare time he en- joys working out, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. Winter is coming, and so is the snow!!! The Snow is Coming... whether we like it or not. Along with the snow comes the shoveling. So let me take a moment to remind us all of the importance in keeping our sidewalks safe. All commercial businesses are required to keep the sidewalks and property clear from snow or ice, immediately following a snow storm. Although home- owners are not required by law, we would strongly encourage residents to do their part in keeping the sidewalks clear from snow or ice. If we all work together we can keep the children safe while they are walking to and from school. In an effort to work to- gether, let us also remember that the DPW has a job to do. It just becomes more difficult if private contractors or home- owners put snow on the roadways. If we all work together we can keep the children safe while they are walking to and from school. New Police Station —Status Progress Report on the Design and Construction of the New Watertown Police Head- quarters: The architectural firm (Kaestle Boos Associates) hired by the Town to design the new police station is in the final stages of designing the new police station. Early next year, the building committee will begin receiving bids from build- ing contractors for the con- struction of the new facility. The expected comple- tion of the design and construc- tion is early 2010. The new police facility will help the Wa- tertown Police Department improve its services to the citi- zens of Watertown. Page 2 Volume 2, Issue 5 Car seat Installations The Watertown PD provides child passenger safety seat check ups primarily for Watertown residents; however if your city or town does not provide this service you are also eligible. Studies have shown that 98 % or more of car seats that are installed are installed incorrectly. This statistic shows the importance of having your child's car seat installed safely. Officer Samios, Offi- cer Parent and Officer Martin have each completed a one week course that consists of both classroom time and hands on training. Once Officers have completed their training they are expected to keep their certi- fication by taking seminars, educating others on the impor- tance of car seats and facilitate car seat check points. Recertifi- cation is required every two years. Each of the above Offi- cers are certified car seat techni- cians. Currently we schedule car seat installation checks two nights per month (4pm — 8pm), as well as one full day per month (8am — 3pm). Our in- stallation checks are BY AP- POINTMENT ONLY by calling the Traffic Division at 617-972-6594. Please be safe and buckle up. Your children are more likely to buckle up and stay buckled up if they see you do it to. WPb's new website design The Watertown Police De- partment will be launching a redesigned web site in the coming months. The goal of this enhancement is to im- prove our communication through the internet. We an- ticipate providing richer con- tent and timely updates to WPb's Haunted Police Station ongoing community policing initiatives. You will also have the option of listening to our radio traffic through the web site. Make sure to add www.watertownpd.org to your list of favorites and check in frequently. 4..-1111W 1 d Volume 2, Issue 5 Page 3 Watertown Police Department 34 John "Sonny" Whooley Way Watertown, MA 02472 Phone: 617-972-6500 Fax: 617-972-6526 Emergencies: 91 1 E-mail: police@police.watertown-ma.gov We're on the Web!!! http://www.watertownpd.org tiz Winter Senior Safety • Space Heaters -Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from the heater, and if you don't already have one, buy a space heater that automatically shuts off if the heater falls over. • Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors -should be on every level of the home. Check the batteries every month and change them at least once a year. • Checking in with loved ones - More frequent calls or visits with seniors are encouraged during the winter months to ensure that they have everything that they need in order to remain healthy. • Family Pets -Our pets will also need a little extra attention as the days grow colder and darker. Be aware, be pre- pared, and stay in- formed! Protectyoursef and be "Street Safe"! The holiday season is a perfect time to stop and reflect on the moments and celebra- tions that have shaped the past year. As well as spending time with loved ones in our lives. It is not a time to forget about our personal safety. During the holidays there are many distractions that can cause us to be unaware of our surroundings. When we get distracted, we become easy tar- gets. Criminals watch for these things. So, be aware, be pre- pared, and stay informed! Pro- tect yourself and be "Street Happy Holidays!!! Safe"! Don't let crime spoil your holidays! Celebration can quickly turn to anguish because safety was neglected. "It can happen to you", so be careful. Being aware of your surround- ings can help make your world a safer place and your holidays the joyful times they should be. Chief Edward P. Deveau and the members of the Water- town Police Department would like to wish everyone and their families a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season! Volume 2, Issue 5 Page 4