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Watertown police commission hears staffing updates, promotions and $1 million command vehicle; chair says $63M station proposal paused until after election
Summary
Deputy Chief DeAndrea reported a recruit in the New Haven academy, a newly sworn-in officer Arnoldo Santa Santos, multiple promotions and equipment upgrades including a $1,000,000 NHTSA-funded command vehicle; the chair said a proposed $63 million community police station will be delayed until after the November election.
The Watertown Police Commission on July 8 heard staffing and equipment updates from Deputy Chief DeAndrea and received a chair's report placing a proposed community police station on hold until after the November elections.
In the department report, Deputy Chief DeAndrea said one recruit is currently attending the police academy in New Haven with a scheduled graduation date of July 30, and announced a new sworn-in officer, Arnoldo Santa Santos, who will begin post-academy training in Meriden on July 9. “He is gonna be beginning the post academy in Meriden on July 9,” DeAndrea said. The deputy chief also noted a conditional offer has been extended to another entry applicant and background checks are underway.
DeAndrea reported recent promotions within the department: Sergeant Lauren Angelillo was promoted to lieutenant, Officer Mark Grama Jr. to sergeant and Officer Zachary Bueser to sergeant; Master Sergeant Jada Marist retired on June 2. The deputy chief said the department has onboarded a new full-time dispatcher and provided conditional offers to three per-diem dispatchers who have started training.
On equipment and grants, DeAndrea said the town's radio communications upgrade continues as scheduled, with Motorola reporting that fire department portable radios should be delivered by the end of July. He also said Sergeant Johnston and Officer Keeney will be honored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for DUI detection efforts at an awards ceremony Sept. 18 at Mohegan Sun. The department has also received a $1,000,000 command vehicle funded through a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Separately, during the chair's report the commission discussed the proposed community police station; the chair said the chief estimated a total project cost of roughly $63,000,000 and recommended delaying further action until after the November election because costs may rise and elected officials could change. The chair said architectural volumes will be provided to commissioners so members can review where the building would be located and what the facility would look like before future action.
Commissioners publicly congratulated the newly promoted and appointed personnel. No formal votes were taken on staffing or on the proposed police station at this meeting.
