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The Wilmington Police Department recently had an incident of two individuals gaining access to a home posing as Water Department Employees. Several other area towns have had similar incidents. A Wilmington resident called 911 after two men came to the residence posing as contractors for the Water Department. They told the resident that they needed to do an emergency check of the water for lead contamination. In other cases, the males approach the resident and said that there was a water break in the area and that the resident’s water meter needed to be reset. These individuals will work together to attempt to distract the resident so the group may split up and gain access to the rest of the home.

The Town of Wilmington Water Department employee’s operate town owned, clearly marked vehicles. If an individual approaches your residence or stops to ask questions regarding any utilities or permits, please ask for official town issued identification or call the Wilmington Police Department to verify whether the person is affiliated with the town. You may also contact the Wilmington Department of Public Works at 978-658-4481 during normal business hours. In almost all cases, the Town of Wilmington will notify residents if Water Department employees need to gain access to a residence prior to the visit.

Elderly residents are most often the targets of these types of scams. We want to ask our residents to take a moment to speak with elderly parents and neighbors so they are on the alert for this type of unscrupulous activity.

 

The following press release was issued by the Massachusetts State 911 Department on January 16, 2019:

The Massachusetts State 911 Department is pleased to announce that Text to 911 is now available throughout the Commonwealth. All Massachusetts 911 call centers now have ability to receive a text message through their 911 system. The Baker-Polito Administration has supported making these system enhancements since 2015.

Text to 911 allows those in need of emergency services to use their cellular device to contact 911 when they are unable to place a voice call.

“This is a significant improvement to our 911 system that will save lives,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Tom Turco. “By giving those requiring emergency services this option we are greatly expanding the ability of first responders to provide critical assistance to those in need.”

To contact emergency services by text message, simply enter 911 in the “To” field of your mobile device and then type your message into the message field. It is the same process that is used for sending a regular text message from your mobile device. It is important to make every effort to begin the text message indicating the town you are in and provide the best location information that you can.

“Having the ability to contact a 911 call center by text could help those being held against their will or victims of domestic violence unable to make a voice call,” said Frank Pozniak, Executive Director of the State 911 Department. “Text to 911 also provides direct access to 911 emergency services for the deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired, which is a service that these communities did not have access to until now.”

It is important to note that the 911 call center may not always have your exact location when they receive your text. For this reason, when sending a Text to 911 it is important to make every effort to begin the text message indicating the town you are in and provide the best location information that you can.

The State 911 Department encourages citizens to Text to 911 only when a voice call is not possible.

Remember: “Call if you can, text if you can’t.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: LT. Joseph Desmond

Wilmington, MA – Jan 8, 2019 – The Wilmington Police were awarded a special grant from the Highway Safety Division (HSD) of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) to increase the number of impaired driving patrols during the holiday season. Wilmington police will join other departments across the state and the State Police in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over (DSOGPO) enforcement mobilization and public information campaign.

“Impaired drivers put everyone else on the road at risk.” said Lieutenant Joseph Desmond of the Wilmington Police Department. “These funds will allow us to deploy patrols that will specifically target impaired drivers.”

The education component of the DSOGPO campaign, “Plan ahead. Get a Ride”, will stress the importance of engaging a sober driver, using public transportation or a ride-share service before celebrating this holiday season.

“Arranging for a sober ride home before celebrating should be a part of everyone’s plans for the holiday season,” said Jeff Larason, Director of the EOPSS Highway Safety Division. “In 2016 alone, impaired drivers took the lives of 79 innocent people in our state. This campaign recognizes the important role cab, ride-share drivers, MBTA operators or a sober friend willing to take you home, play in reducing the number of people killed in impaired driving crashes.”

Massachusetts Data:

• Marijuana was the most prevalent drug found in drivers involved in fatal crashes from 2012-2016.
• From 2012-2016, an average of 10% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes were found with both alcohol and drugs in their system.
• From 2015 to 2016, alcohol impaired driving fatalities increased 41 percent (105 to 148).
• In 2016, impaired drivers killed 79 people – an increase of 19 fatalities from 2015.
• From 2011-2015, 82 percent of impaired drivers in fatal crashes were men.
• From 2011-2015, 45 percent of all alcohol-related driver fatalities were ages 21 to 34.

 National Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• Approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers. In 2017, there were 10,874 people killed in these preventable crashes. In fact, on average, more than 10,000 people have died each year (2013 to 2017) in drunk-driving crashes. To put it in perspective, that’s equal to about 20 jumbo jets crashing, with no survivors.
• In 2017, almost one in five children (14 and younger) killed in traffic crashes were killed in drunk-driving crashes. Fifty-four percent of the time, it was the child’s own driver who was drunk.
• Drugs were present in 43 percent of the fatally-injured drivers with a known test result in 2015, more frequently than alcohol was present.
• NHTSA’s 2013–2014 roadside survey found drugs in 22 percent of all drivers both on weekend nights and on weekdays.
• Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects—slows reaction times, impairs cognitive performance, and makes it more difficult for drivers to keep a steady position in their lane.
• Mixing alcohol and marijuana may dramatically produce effects greater than either drug on its own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 26, 2018 – For the month of November, officers from the Wilmington Police Department have been participating in “No Shave November.” For a donation of $100 to Home Base, Officers were able to forego the usual shaving requirements of the job and sport some facial hair. As of this morning, the Wilmington Police Department has raised $5,925 for the organization. In total, $175,909 has been raised for Home Base during their “No Shave November” campaign.

The mission of Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program, is to heal the invisible wounds for Veterans, Service Members and their Families through world-class clinical care, wellness, education and research.

As the end of November approaches, it’s time for the officers to say goodbye to their mustaches, goatees, and beards. Wilmington Police Officers are taking part in two “shave-off” events. On November 28, several Officers from the WPD will join all of the participating agencies at historic Fenway Park to celebrate a successful campaign and get a clean shave.  A local event will be held on Friday, November 30 at 6:30 pm at TJ’s Barber Shop located at 474 Main Street in Wilmington. The WPD would like to thank owner, John Reis, for graciously offering his barber shop and services for the event!

If you would like to contribute to the WPD’s efforts to support Home Base, there is still time. Donations can be made at https://because.massgeneral.org/fundraiser/1753826.

 

The Wilmington Police Department is holding a Citizen CPR Class on December 7 & 8. This class is designed for individuals who want to learn CPR but do not need a course completion card in CPR for their job. Taught by certified instructors from the Wilmington Police Department, the Family & Friends CPR Course teaches the lifesaving skills of adult Hands-Only CPR, child CPR with breaths, adult and child AED use, infant CPR and relief of choking in an adult, child or infant. Skills are taught in a dynamic group environment by using the American Heart Association’s research-proven practice-while-watching technique, which provides students with the most hands-on CPR practice time possible.Wilmington PD Announces Citizen CPR Class

The class will be held on Friday, December 7 from 6-8 pm and Saturday, December 8 from 10 am – 12 pm. To register fro the class you MUST ATTEND BOTH DAYS. For more information or to register, visit https://wpd.org/resources/citizen-cpr-courses/.

 

On November 5, 2018 at 6:07 PM, Wilmington Police & Fire Units responded to a report of a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle in the area of 433 Main Street. The preliminary investigation shows that a 60 year old Wilmington woman was crossing Main Street when she was struck by a 2018 Honda Civic in the northbound lane. The woman was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the Honda Civic was uninjured.

Main Street was closed between Route 62 and Middlesex Avenue for approximately 2 ½ hours while the crash was investigated.

The crash remains under investigation by the Wilmington Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section.