Author: jgprstaff

No Confidential Data Accessed During Attack

Town Manager Austin Faison, Superintendent Lisa Howard and Police Chief Terence Delehanty report that Winthrop Public Schools and the Town of Winthrop were the victim of a cyber attack on Thursday, but that no confidential data was accessed in the attack.

On Thursday, Feb. 4, the district’s technology investigations team informed administrators that the Town and school district servers were the target of a malicious computer attack which prevented students and teachers from utilizing internet-based resources such as Google Classroom, email, video conferencing and other services while in school buildings. This attack also caused a disruption for town municipal offices.

The attack, known as a Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS), is designed to overwhelm the bandwidth resources with large amounts of data, which is what prevented students and teachers from accessing the online learning resources. No student, employee or financial data was accessed as a result of the attack.

“I appreciate everyone’s patience as we meet these challenges head-on and continue to hold student learning and safety as our top priority,” Superintendent Howard said. “I will update you again as we move through the process of recovering from this unanticipated and unwarranted attack on our school district and town.”

“Thank you to all who worked swiftly to address this issue and protect the confidential data from this attack,” Town Manager Faison said. “We are following all mandatory reporting requirements regarding data privacy breaches, and will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates to the community as needed.”

School and Town officials are working with their internet service provider and technology experts to correct the issues and restore service as soon as possible. Additional safeguards will also be implemented to protect the servers from future attacks.

At this time, there will be no changes to the Winthrop Public Schools hybrid learning schedule, though students may encounter some interruptions until all alternate internet connections have been set up for teachers.

The Winthrop Police Department, in conjunction with state and federal agencies, are investigating the matter and are working to identify the source of the attack.

WINTHROP — Town Manager Austin Faison and Police Chief Terence Delehanty are pleased to share that Winthrop’s Public Health Director and a Police Sergeant showcased the town’s efforts to support those recovering from substance use during a webinar with colleagues from across the country. 

On Wednesday, Jan. 27, Health Director Meredith Hurley and Sgt. Sarko Gergerian presented on the Winthrop Recovery Model, of which Sgt. Gergerian is a founding member, at the Peer Support in Law Enforcement Diversion Programs webinar. The model has been recognized nationally for its success in outreach, peer support and community-oriented recovery. 

“This was a tremendous opportunity to connect with peers in policing throughout the country and share the success we’ve had and challenges we’ve faced in implementing our recovery based diversion program,” Sgt. Gergerian said. “We’re extremely grateful for the opportunity, and are eager to continue working with those interested in bringing similar approaches to their communities.” 

Winthrop’s was one of two police department diversion programs — along with Tucson, Arizona’s — featured yesterday. The program was put together by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP). Sgt. Gergerian and Hurley presented to 278 participants from law enforcement agencies nationwide at the webinar.

In their presentation, Hurley and Sgt. Gergerian outlined their program model, including how it integrates peer specialists to support recovery and how those specialists are trained to provide peer services. They also identified the importance of stakeholder relationships, like Winthrop’s partnerships with Boston Medical Center, East Boston District Court, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative. 

Hurley and Sgt. Gergerian outlined the outcomes of the program, including connecting over 80 people to recovery resources since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Winthrop Police have also distributed more than 20 overdose survival kits since the beginning of the pandemic.

Winthrop has been identified as a federal mentor site for 2021, which empowers the department to provide training on its diversion model to communities throughout the U.S. As mentors, Gergerian and Hurley will serve as subject matter experts assisting with the development of public health and safety partnerships that want to use peer-based support services to support recovery.

“Recovery is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach, and we’re pleased to be able to share what’s worked in Winthrop and how we’ve developed our model over several years,” Hurley said. “It was very encouraging to see hundreds of people from across the country taking an interest in this topic and exploring how they can implement or expand their own recovery-based models and get those struggling with addiction and other challenges the help they need.”

The Winthrop Recovery Model also emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, with knowledge spanning nursing, mental health counseling, recovery coaching and policing to help people with housing difficulties, food scarcity, domestic violence, mental health and substance use disorders and more. Through that approach, the Winthrop team connects those in need to psychiatric resources, medical support and inpatient recovery placements.

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WINTHROP — Town Manager Austin Faison and Police Chief Terence Delehanty are warning residents to be wary of potential scams tied to financial relief due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and are offering tips to help citizens stay safe and avoid scams during this holiday season. 

Residents who receive unsolicited letters regarding low interest rates and loans, offers of financial relief or checks should avoid responding via mail or calling phone numbers listed.

Town officials warn that residents should NEVER give personal information or money to organizations they do not recognize. If a loan package is mailed to you, you should not accept it. Return the letter to the sender and alert the Winthrop Police Department immediately.

“Unfortunately, as we continue to deal with the financial repercussions of COVID-19, scams are being tailored to residents who may be in need of financial support,” Delehanty said. “We want residents to be aware of these potential scams and ensure that they are protecting themselves from being targeted.”

The town of Winthrop warned its residents about possible scams in April related to the coronavirus, but older scams focused on testing, while newer scams are vaccine-related and stimulus-related.

The United States Federal Trade Commission provides these four tips for consumers receiving stimulus payments or financial compensation during the coronavirus pandemic:

• Only use irs.gov/coronavirus to submit information to the IRS – and never in response to a call, text, or email.
• The IRS won’t contact you by phone, email, text message, or social media with information about your stimulus payment, or to ask you for your Social Security number, bank account, or government benefits debit card account number. Anyone who does is a scammer phishing for your information.
• You don’t have to pay to get your stimulus money.
• The IRS won’t tell you to deposit your stimulus check then send them money back because they paid you more than they owed you. That’s a fake check scam.

If anyone has questions or feels like they have been victimized, they are encouraged to call the Winthrop Police Department at 617-846-1212. 

Massachusetts residents who believe they are victims of fraud or other criminal activity related to the pandemic should contact the United States Attorney’s Office at USAMA.victimassistance@usdoj.gov or call 1-888-221-6023 and leave a message.  Members of the public can also contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by visiting www.IC3.gov.

For more information on COVID-19, visit the DPH website by clicking here and the CDC website by clicking here.

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Chief Terence Delehanty reports that the Winthrop Police Department has identified three teenagers in connection to multiple package thefts from eight Winthrop homes last week.

No charges have been filed against the three teenagers at this time, and Winthrop Police are working with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to explore the possibility of resolution through restorative justice.

On Wednesday, Dec. 9, Winthrop Police responded to Sea Foam Avenue for a report of individuals stealing packages from porches. An officer investigating the report encountered two teenage males walking in the area in which the packages were stolen. Upon further investigation, Winthrop Police were able to determine that those two teenagers, along with a third individual, were allegedly responsible for the thefts at eight houses, and the items that were taken were ultimately recovered by Winthrop Police.   

“The officers investigating this case did an outstanding job and were able to bring this case to a quick conclusion,” Chief Delehanty said. “Unfortunately, it’s all too common that we receive more reports of damaged or stolen packages during the holiday season. We strongly encourage residents to take the necessary steps listed below to help protect their purchases.”

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
• If you find your package has been stolen, immediately report it to Winthrop Police at 617-846-1212

These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.

Town Manager Austin Faison and Winthrop Public Schools Superintendent Lisa Howard announce the funeral arrangements for longtime Winthrop Public Schools employee Amy Gallagher, who passed away on Nov. 30.

WHEN:

Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 11 a.m.

WHERE:

St. John the Evangelist Church at 320 Winthrop St., Winthrop

The funeral ceremony will be live streamed at the St. John the Evangelist Church’s YouTube Channel, linked here.

WHAT:

A funeral will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 15 for Amy Gallagher, a dedicated public servant who served as an Education Support Professional at Winthrop Middle School for over 10 years and is an alumna of Winthrop High School’s class of 1983.

To view her full obituary, click here.

Though all are welcome to attend the mass in-person, there will be limited seating due to the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. Those who wish to participate are asked to utilize the livestream as well as stand along the procession route as it passes through the area after the mass. Anyone standing out along the route should practice social distancing, wear a mask or face covering, and only drive or stand with people that you live with. 

The procession, which will be led by members of the Winthrop Police Department, will travel down Lincoln street to Walden Street; turn right on Walden to Main Street, past the Middle High School; and continue on Cross Street to the Winthrop Cemetery.

The Gallagher family kindly asks that if you wish to honor her memory, to donate to the Miss G Memorial Washington D.C. Scholarship Fund c/o Webster First Federal Credit Union, 15 Woodside Ave., Winthrop, MA 02152 or via Venmo at @MISSGDC.