Traffic Plan for the July 4th 2009 Fireworks Display

The traffic from Main St. entering Livingston St., as well as East St. entering Livingston St. will be shut down at roughly 9 PM (or as soon as lots are full). The estimated start time of the Fireworks Display will be at 9:30PM. After the Display has ended, all traffic from the upper lot (Hazel Field) will be directed towards Main Street. Traffic exiting from the upper lot up toward Main St. will be sent south on Main St (towards Wilmington). All traffic from the lower lots will be directed toward East St. Due to the anticipated heavy traffic on Main St. from citizens parking at Brooks Plaza and at the Middle School, all traffic exiting Brooks Plaza (and Middle School) will be sent north onto Main Street towards Chandler Street. 

 Officers will be assigned to foot patrol within the Park for the entire event, at 9pm all other officers will report to their assigned traffic posts. 

 There will be sign boards placed on East St. and Main St. to assist people with the Traffic Plan. “No Parking” signs, along with string, will be placed on Livingston St. to prevent vehicles from parking on the roadsides. Additionally, there will be no parking in the Rec. Center parking lot. 

Updated 7/2/2009 at 9:09AM

Bomb Threat

Updated 4/6/2009 at 8:02AM

Armed Robbery

 At approximately 3:35 am on March 22^nd, the Tewksbury Police Department was summonsed to the Tedeschi Food Shops (2280 Main St.), for a reported armed robbery that had just occurred.  Upon arrival, Officers spoke to the store clerk, who stated that at approximately 3:30 am a white male, 5'11” with a medium build, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt (with the hood pulled up and over his head), blue jeans, work boots, and a red bandana masking his face entered the store and went directly behind the counter.  The store clerk stated that the suspect then brandished a knife and said this is a robbery.  He then told the store clerk to empty the safe and the cash register into a plastic bag that he was carrying. The store clerk did so and the suspect ran out of the store towards the Trahan School.

          Tewksbury Officers then set up a perimeter and called for Detectives and a K-9 Unit. The K-9 Unit and Officers searched the area around the Trahan School and the abutting neighborhoods but were unable to locate the suspect. Surveillance footage confirmed the description of the suspect and the direction he traveled after leaving the business. The Tewksbury Police Department Detective Division processed the scene and is conducting an investigation into the events of the evening. Detectives are following up with other local Departments (Chelmsford, Groton, and Cambridge) who have had similar robberies within a few days of this robbery. Anyone with information regarding the robbery and/or the suspect revealed in the surveillance photos provided should contact the Tewksbury Police Department immediately @ (978)-851-7373. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.   

Updated 3/31/2009 at 12:01PM

Tewksbury Police Association 2009 Fundraiser

New England Patriots Celebrity Basketball Game

Thursday April 30th 7:00PM

Tewksbury Memorial High School Gym

Solicitations start Tuesday March 10th

Sales Office 978-256-0087

Tewksbury Police Association Solicitation Notice

The Tewksbury Police Association authorizes two solicitations per year

1)    Tewksbury Police Association

2)    Tewksbury Police Athletic League

Note: We know you receive many calls every year by statewide groups claiming to be the Tewksbury Police.

Suggestion: If the check is not made out to Tewksbury Police Association or Tewksbury PAL none of the money benefits the men and women of the Tewksbury Police Department.

Posted 3/9/2009 at 7:51AM

Press Release

On Sunday, January 25, 2009, at approximately 4:00pm, members of the Tewksbury Police Department responded to a reported armed robbery that occurred at the Fairfield Inn located at 1695 Andover Street.

First responding patrol officers, Sergeant Perry and Officer Hollis found two females victims bound in room #205. The adult female victims reported an unknown male subject knocked on their door. Upon opening the door, the suspect entered the room brandishing a firearm.  He tied up the victims, and demanded their money and personal belongings. The females were then sexually assaulted before the suspect fled. A witness gave a vehicle description which was crucial to the investigation.

Members of the Tewksbury Criminal Bureau, Detective Sergeant Casey, Detective O’Neill, and Detective Farnum, arrived at the crime scene and conducted the investigation. During the preliminary investigation it was ascertained this was not a random crime.  The victims, who advertised services on Craigslist.com, were targeted by the suspect.

The information received from the armed robbery/sexual assault was disseminated through a law enforcement intelligence networking system       (Lt. Neville, Wilmington Police Department). This department received information from the Burlington Police Department and the Cambridge Police Department that had similar crimes at hotels in their respective jurisdictions within the past forty-eight hours. The reported suspect description and vehicle description was consistent.

Detectives in each jurisdiction conducted a joint investigation with the assistance of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. Evidence from the crimes indicated the possible suspect was in the City of Framingham.

On January 30, 2009, detectives set up surveillance at the suspect’s residence. The suspect, later identified as Reinaldo Prado DOB: 05/18/1981, was observed entering the reported vehicle seen at the crimes. Prado was placed under arrest without incident.

At this time Reinaldo Prado has been arraigned at Woburn District Court on applicable charges. Prado will appear at Lowell District Court and arraigned for the following offenses committed in the Town of Tewksbury:

Armed Robbery (two counts)

Rape       (two counts)

Kidnapping (two counts)

Intimidation of a Witness (two counts)

Assault & Battery with a Dangerous Weapon

Posted 2/4/2009 at 9:11AM

Overnight Parking - Snow & Ice Removal

Town By-Law:  8.24.010

1. It shall be unlawful for any vehicle, other than one acting in an emergency to be parked on any street from 12:00 (Midnight) to 6:00 A.M. This shall take effect on November 1^st of each year and end on March 31^st. (A fine of $25.00 will be imposed for a violation of this section).

2. It shall be unlawful for any vehicle, other than one acting in an emergency, to be parked on any street, day or night, when it is snowing or when icy conditions exist. (A fine of $25.00 will be imposed for a violation of this section)

3. Any vehicle, other than one acting in an emergency, parked, day or night, on any street in the Town, so as to interfere with the work if removing or plowing snow, removing ice, or sanding the street, may be removed or towed away, at the sole expense of the registered owner of said vehicle, under the authority and direction of the Superintendent of the Department of Public Works to a public garage or any convenient place. The Superintendent of the Department of Public Works shall within a reasonable time, notify the Chief of Police of the removal of any such vehicle and of the place to which it has been removed, and the Chief of Police shall give like notice to the registered owner of the vehicle. Vehicles so towed away shall be stored in a safe place and restored to the registered owner thereof upon proper identification and full payment, to the Town or to the Keeper of the place of storage, for the expenses incurred in such removal and storage.

Inquiries, about vehicles so towed away, shall be made at the Police Station. (Art. 48, ATM 1991)

Posted 11/10/2008 at 6:00AM

Water Meter Installers

The DPW has subcontracted the installation of water meters to the Easton Winwater Works Co. The individuals pictured below will be working in Town and going house to house to install water meters. Work starts on 10-15-2008 and the duration of the project is 3 years. DPW Project Manager Nina Nazarian (978)640-4440 x252

Posted 10/17/2008 at 6:00AM

Tewksbury Police Department Receives Child Passenger Safety Equipment Grant

The Tewksbury Police Department has received a $10,000.00 grant from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) to expand its child passenger safety efforts.  The EOPSS awarded 67 of these grants totaling $660,773 to Massachusetts communities and organizations with a public purpose to reduce motor vehicle fatalities and injuries involving children.  

Nationwide traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14.  The grants will be used primarily to purchase child safety seats for distribution to parents and caregivers in need.

 "With this grant, the Tewksbury Police Department can better serve parents and caregivers who want to protect their children from death or injury by properly securing them in a safety belt, booster seat, or child safety seat," said Tewksbury Police Department.  "We can also keep reminding adults that they must set a good example for kids by obeying the Massachusetts safety belt law and always buckling up themselves."

In April 2008, Governor Deval Patrick signed Senate Bill 2018, dubbed the Booster Seat Bill, into law.  This law will go into effect on July 10, 2008.  This enhancement of the Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Law requires that all children riding in passenger motor vehicles must be in a federally approved child passenger restraint that is properly fastened and secured until they are 8 years old or over 57” tall.   Once a child has outgrown their child seat they need to use a booster seat until they are 8 years old or over 57” tall.  Children 12 and under are safest when properly restrained in the back seat, ideally away from airbags.

The Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Law is a primary enforcement law.  With minor exceptions, a police officer may stop a motor vehicle if a child is riding improperly restrained.  A driver will be fined up to $25.00 for each improperly restrained child.

The Tewksbury Police Department wants to remind the public that the Massachusetts Safety Belt Law requires everyone to buckle up.  Adults need to set a good example for children, because 70% of youngsters whose parents don't use safety belts will not buckle up when they grow up.  A 2007 EOPSS survey found only a 69% safety belt use rate among front seat occupants of all ages in Massachusetts – far lower than the national use rate of 82%.  This low use rate is a serious public safety and health issue given that safety belts reduce one’s risk of death or serious injury in a crash by up to 50%.

If you need more information on how to obtain or properly install child passenger restraints call the Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Hotline at 1-877-392-5956, TTY 1-617-725-0261, or go to www.mass.gov/childsafetyseats.

Posted 07/27/2008 at 6:00AM

Legal Update

Police Officer Stop and Frisk

Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968),” was a decision by the United States Supreme Court which held that the Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures was not violated when a police officer stopped a suspect on the street and searched him without probable cause to arrest.”

“The Court held that police may briefly detain a person if they have reasonable suspicion that the person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime.  Because of the important interest in protecting the safety of police officers, police may perform a quick surface search of the person’s outer clothing for weapons if they have reasonable suspicion that the person stopped is armed.  This reasonable suspicion must be based on “specific and articulable facts and not merely on an officer’s hunch.  This permitted police action has been referred to as a “stop and frisk,” or a Terry Stop.”

Terry Stops or investigative detentions allow officers to temporarily seize individuals based on the reasonable suspicion standard, which is not as strict as probable cause. 

A Terry Stop has two components:  the stop and then the frisk.  When an officer conducts a Terry Stop, he/she must have reasonable suspicion that a crime or criminal activity has, is, or is about to be committed... The officer must also be able to articulate his reasonable suspicion with specific facts...  When an officer conducts a Terry Stop and feels that the individual possesses a weapon, a pat down may be conducted of the individual’s outer clothing.  This pat down has to be articulated that it was done for the officer’s personal safety or the safety of others in the area. 

Terry Stops must be temporary and the questioning has to be limited to the purpose of the stop.  If an officer has stopped an individual who was suspected of stealing a vehicle and then confirms that the vehicle was not in fact stolen, he cannot force the individual to answer questions about anything else. 

Posted 05/27/2008 at 6:00AM

Bicycle Helmets

  The Tewksbury Police Department has been awarded 50 bicycle helmets for the children of the town to promote bicycle safety.  Effective June 11, 2007, these helmets will be available and in the cruisers to be distributed at no cost, to those children observed by a Police Officer who do not have a bike helmet. If the Officer does not have a bike helmet to fit the child, the child can have their parents contact Training Officer Brian Warren at the Police Department.  He can be reached at 978-851-7373 X238.

There are only 50 bike helmets and we will continue distributing them until such time there are no bike helmets available.

Chief's Message

The Tewksbury Police Department is committed to provide for the safety and security of our community through the judicious enforcement of the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Constitution of the United States of America. We are dedicated to provide these services with the highest degree of professionalism, honesty, integrity, and character as humanly possible. Every member of our organization shall be devoted to provide the highest quality of public service with respect, honor, fairness, pride, compassion, and courage. We are committed to treating the public with respect, dignity and fairness and to serve as role models in both our public and private lives by adhering to the highest standards of ethical and moral principles and conduct. We are dedicated to the principles of honesty and truthfulness and will strive to do the right thing, the right way, at all times.

Road Closings

Beginning on Monday July 6 until Saturday July 18, 2009, East Street from the intersection at Livingston Street to Maple Street shall be closed to through traffic, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the roadway re-opens on Monday July 20, 2009. No traffic will be allowed through the road during this time period.

On Monday, June 29^th, 2009 paving operations will begin on Easement Road, Susan Drive, McKenzie Circle, John Street and Euclid Road. The roads will be closed to all traffic between the hours of 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM or until the road has cooled sufficiently to drive on it

On Monday, June 29^th, 2009 paving operations will begin on Chandler Street (Billerica Line to Raymond Circle), Donna Drive, and Whipple Road (Raymond Circle to Pine Street). This is weather pending, if they do not complete paving on Monday it will go into Tuesday. The roads will be closed to all traffic between the hours 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM or until the road has cooled sufficiently to drive on it

On Friday, June 26^th, 2009 paving operations will begin on Whipple Road (Patten Road to Shawsheen Street) and then on to Patten Road (Whipple Road to Shawsheen Street) The roads will be closed to all traffic between the hours 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM or until the road has cooled sufficiently to drive on it.

On Friday, June 26^th, 2009 paving operations will begin on Hazelwood Avenue, Starbird Avenue, Coburn Avenue, Linwood Avenue and Virginia Road. The roads will be closed to all traffic between the hours 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM or until the road has cooled sufficiently to drive on it.

Beginning  Wednesday morning, June 17 , 2009, weather pending, paving operations will begin on Contract 34/35. Hours of operation will be between 7 AM to 4 PM beginning with Champion Circle and then continuing on to Judith E. Drive and  Donna Drive. 

Beginning on Monday morning, June 15, 2009, weather pending, drainage work will begin between house numbers 390 and 420 Pinnacle Street. Monday only, there will be alternating traffic between 7 AM and 4 PM. Tuesday through Friday, there will be alternating traffic from 7 AM to 9 AM and 2 PM to 4 PM. From 9 AM to 2 PM, the road will be closed in this area.  The detour route heading north will go towards Blanchard Street in Andover, left on Bellevue Rd which becomes Kendall Rd in Tewksbury and then back to Livingston St. The detour traffic coming from Livingston St will go to Pinnacle Street and then to Lancaster Dr.

Beginning Monday morning, June 15, 2009, weather pending, paving operations will begin on Contract 34/35. Hours of operation will be between 7 AM to 4 PM beginning with Robert Circle and then continuing on to Patten Road and Belt Circle.

Beginning Thursday morning, June 11, 2009, weather pending, paving operations will begin on Contract 33. Hours of operation will be between 7 AM to 4 PM beginning with Illinois, California, Alabama,  Oregon , McCarthy , New Mexico, Utah Rd,  Arizona, Kansas, Nevada, Brackett St,  Cabot Rd, and  Brown Street (from Nichols St to Arkansas St).

Starting 6-1-2009 Pine Street will be closed to through traffic between the hours of 9 AM to 2 PM

Starting 5-6-2009 7AM - 5PM Pinnacle Street Road Reconstruction (from Livingston to about 360 Pinnacle Street).

Starting 4-21-2009 7AM - 5PM Victor Drive will be open to one lane only.

Starting 4-16-2009 9AM - 2PM Chandler St from Pine St to Eleanor Rd will be closed.

Starting 4-1-2009 9AM - 2PM Beech St from Coolidge St to Shawsheen St will be closed.