Police

Chief Terence M. Delehanty would like to announce the retirement of valued Winthrop Police K-9 Clint.

Clint has served with the Winthrop Police Department since April 2015 and was partnered with Officer David Brown. They began their partnership by attending a 14-week police academy, as well as a subsequent 6-week narcotics detection course.

Clint and Officer Brown were both members of the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) K-9 team, which responds to searches in communities across the northeastern part of the state.

Clint took part in numerous search and rescue operations, searches for missing persons, and searches for suspects throughout his eight years of service.

Notably, Clint helped locate a young girl who went missing in Winthrop for several hours, using his ability to track scents to locate the girl hiding under a bed in an abandoned home where the girl’s grandmother used to live. Clint also assisted Officer Brown and Winthrop Police in locating a criminal suspect who kicked in the door of a home in town before fleeing and hiding in a nearby garage.

Officer Brown noted that Clint would often walk in a large circle before pursuing a scent.

“They tell you in training classes that it’s not the dog that’s learning the officer, it’s the officer learning the dog,” Officer Brown said. “You learn their behavior and how they react when they’re looking for an object or a suspect, and you learn to communicate based on their behavior.”

Clint officially retired from his police duties earlier this week and will live out his retirement with Officer Brown and his family.

“It will take him a while to get accustomed to staying home, but he has the run of the back yard now,” said Officer Brown. “He never called in sick for work, and was always ready to go with me and provide the best service he could to the people of Winthrop.”

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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