Author: jgprstaff

WINTHROP — Winthrop and Massachusetts State Police have identified a Middleton man as the person who repeatedly vandalized a sign on Winthrop Beach with a vulgar phrase and have summonsed the suspect to court to face criminal charges.

The sign, owned by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and located at 254 Winthrop Shore Drive, was tagged with a heavy marker on multiple dates, typically early on Sunday mornings, from August through October.

Winthrop Police Detectives obtained camera footage showing the suspect committing the crime and arriving and leaving from the area on foot. On October 24, an investigator identified the suspect as MARK EVANS, AGE 61, OF MIDDLETON.

“Crimes like these have a direct negative impact on the quality of life of our residents, which is why we take them very seriously,” Winthrop Police Chief Terence Delehanty said. “I want to thank our officers and our partners at the Massachusetts State Police for their considerable effort in identifying and holding this individual responsible for his alleged actions.”

Winthrop Police shared the evidence and identification with the State Police-Revere Barracks, which has jurisdiction over DCR property. A Trooper contacted EVANS and arranged an interview of the suspect, which was conducted on Oct. 28 at the barracks.

Following the interview, and statements made by EVANS, police informed him he was being summonsed to appear in East Boston District Court on criminal charges of tagging property and malicious destruction of property under $1,200.

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WINTHROP — Chief Terence M. Delehanty is pleased to announce that residents can now sign up for the Winthrop Police Department’s Civilian Police Academy this fall.

This free program is open to Winthrop residents aged 18 and up. Classes will be held on Thursdays from Nov. 3 through Jan. 19, from 6:30-9 p.m. in the Lyceum Room at the E.B. Newton School Cultural Center, 45 Pauline St. Classes will not be held the week of Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Various members of the Winthrop Police Department will lead classes in their fields of expertise during the 10 classes. Topics will include domestic violence, police exploring, motor vehicle law, patrol procedures, accidents, firearms, critical incidents, implicit bias, gangs, juveniles, as well as narcotics enforcement, prevention and treatment. Participants will have the opportunity to attend a ride-along with a Winthrop Police officer.

“Students will leave this class having learned a wide range of topics that are integral to everyday police work,” Chief Delehanty said. “We encourage anyone who is interested in connecting with our officers and learning more about what they do on a daily basis to apply to take part in this class.”

Residents are asked to drop off or mail a completed application to the Winthrop Police Department, 3 Metcalf Square. Mailed applications should be addressed to the care of Lt. Stephen Rogers. For those who prefer to complete the application virtually, please click here.

Residents will be notified by email if they have been accepted into the class. The class is limited to 20 participants.

The Winthrop Police Department will conduct a background check on applicants to determine their acceptance into the academy.

For more information, please contact Lt. Rogers by emailing srogers@town.winthrop.ma.us or calling 617-846-1212 ext. 2940.

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WINTHROP 一 Chief Terence M. Delehanty is pleased to announce that the newest member of the Winthrop Police Department has graduated from the Reading Police Academy.

Officer Sean Donahue graduated as part of the academy’s 34th Recruit Officer Course (ROC) on Tuesday, June 28. He began his new position as a full-time officer with the Winthrop Police Department upon graduation from the six-month academy training program.

Officer Donahue is a lifelong resident of Winthrop and a 2013 graduate of Winthrop High School. Prior to working with the Winthrop Police Department, Officer Donahue previously worked as a security officer at Encore Casino in Everett.

Officer Donahue is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Robert “Doug” Donahue, who was a highly respected Boston Police Detective who retired in 1997. 

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Sgt. Nick Bettano, his wife Danielle Bettano and their daughter Sophia Bettano. (Courtesy Photo 

From left: Chief Terence Delehanty, Sgt. Nick Bettano and Deputy Chief John Goodwin at the TOP COP Awards on Thursday, May 12. (Courtesy Photo Winthrop Police Department)

WINTHROP — Chief Terence M. Delehanty is pleased to share that a member of the Winthrop Police Department earned national recognition for his efforts in responding to an incident of hate-motivated violence last summer.

Sgt. Nick Bettano earned the Honorable Mention Award from the National Association of Police Organizations for his response to the incident last June 26 in which a suspect crashed a stolen box truck into a vehicle and building before fatally shooting two bystanders. The investigation revealed the suspect may have intended to crash the truck into a synagogue before losing control of the vehicle. 

Sgt. Bettano was recognized on Thursday, May 12, at the NAPO’s TOP COPS Awards outside Washington, D.C. 

The TOP COPS Awards is an annual event designed to recognize police officers from around the United States for their service on behalf of their communities. 

Sgt. Bettano was the first to arrive on scene, after learning en route that the crash he was responding to was in fact an active shooter incident. Upon arrival, a bystander directed Bettano toward the suspect, whom he observed to be in possession of a handgun. Sgt. Bettano assisted multiple bystanders to safety before making several attempts at commanding the suspect to drop his weapon.

Sgt. Bettano was forced to discharge his own weapon, wounding and ultimately killing the suspect, after the suspect aimed his firearm at Sgt. Bettano. 

“This event was a significant tragedy, which impacted our entire community, and Sgt. Bettano’s quick thinking and bravery as the first responder on scene undoubtedly prevented it from becoming an even worse tragedy,” Chief Delehanty. “He is incredibly deserving of this recognition.”

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WINTHROP — Chief Terence M. Delehanty reports that the Winthrop Police Department arrested a man last week on drug charges following an extensive investigation. 

FRANCIS FORSYTH, JR., AGE 22, of EAST BOSTON, was arrested and charged with:

• Trafficking in 36 Grams or More of Fentanyl
• Possession of a Class D Drug With Intent to Distribute (Subsequent Offense)

As part of an ongoing investigation, Winthrop Police obtained a search warrant for FORSYTH’S person and residence.

At approximately 11:45 a.m. on Friday, April 8, Winthrop Police and Boston Police conducting surveillance at FORSYTH’S home on Bennington Street in East Boston observed FORSYTH exit the home with another man and enter a red Chrysler Town and Country, which Boston Police subsequently stopped a short distance from the home.

FORSYTH was taken into custody without incident while members of the Winthrop Police Department conducted a search of his residence, which yielded more than 84 grams of marijuana, just under 80 grams of fentanyl, cash, and a variety of items consistent with the packaging and sale of narcotics.

These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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WINTHROP — With the holiday season underway and more people shopping for gifts, Chief Terence M. Delehanty and the Winthrop Police Department would like to provide tips to prevent theft for residents expecting package deliveries in the coming weeks.

According to the National Neighborhood Watch, nearly one in four adults in the United States has reported having a package stolen at least once.

The Winthrop Police Department wishes to share the following tips from the National Neighborhood Watch to help prevent package theft:

• Consider getting a P.O. box at your local post office or having packages delivered to your office
• Set up notifications to track your packages
• Install a security camera in the area(s) outside your home where packages may be delivered
• Require a signature upon delivery to ensure packages are never left unattended
• Reschedule delivery or ask for a package hold when on vacation
• Research potential home security technology and locking device options to protect and monitor packages
• Ask your neighbors to grab your packages for safekeeping until you return home
• Sign up for the USPS “Informed Delivery” service, where you can get a daily email with a picture/scan of the mail you will receive that day. To sign up, click here.

If you believe you have fallen victim to package theft, you should do the following:

• Confirm with your delivery company that your package was actually delivered
• Identify which package was stolen and what the contents of that package were
• Contact the police immediately and report your package as stolen
• If you have a security camera on your home, give a copy of the video to police
• Report the package theft to the applicable carrier:
  • USPS
  • UPS
  • FedEx
  • Amazon

Should you happen to witness package theft, do not approach the suspect. Instead, pay attention to what their vehicle looks like and its license plate number. If possible, get a physical description of the suspect to share with the police.

Residents should note that around the holidays mail carriers such as Amazon and FedEx contract independent carriers to help deliver items during the peak season. These independent carriers typically drive their own vehicles that have no affiliation markers. Residents should be mindful of these individuals who are oftentimes mistaken as thieves when dropping off packages on behalf of carriers or delivery companies. As always, though, if you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood report it to the police immediately.

Chief Delehanty would also like to offer tips to holiday shoppers on how to avoid any incidents or theft while shopping in stores and online:

• As more people are on the road during the holiday season, be sure to drive carefully. Be patient when looking for a parking space. Do not speed up in a parking lot to catch an empty spot. Look for other cars or people when backing out of a parking space, and back out slowly.
• Keep shopping bags out of plain sight in your vehicle, preferably in your trunk.
• Keep your purse close to your body or your wallet in an inside coat pocket or front pants pocket.
• Save your receipts and monitor your credit card activity.
• When shopping online, stick to retailers you know or have shopped with before.
• Do not use public Wi-Fi to make purchases in order to prevent hackers from intercepting your information.

The men and women of the Winthrop Police Department wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season!

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