Wellesley Police deputy chief William Brooks will be taking over as Norwood’s chief of police in May, ending his 12-year run here. In addition to his work on Wellesley’s force, Brooks has led the regional NORPAC outfit focused on narcotics-related crimes.

The announcement, made at Monday’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting, was a “bittersweet” one, according to BoS chair Barbara Searle, who wished Brooks well in returning to a force he was a member of being joining Wellesley’s department.

Brooks has also been very helpful to us in the past, such as in explaining the ins and outs of Wellesley’s liquor laws, so we wish him well, too.

Brooks says he worked for the Norwood PD for 18 years, 14 as detective sergeant (he worked at Westwood PD for five years before that, so now has worked 35 years as a police officer).  “I’m going back to a department where I spent many years.  I wouldn’t leave Wellesley for just any department,” Brooks says.

Asked about his most memorable moment on the job here, Brooks relayed this story:

“I remember my first week here in Wellesley – I think it was my second day – when Chief Cunningham told me we were having a meeting about the Boston Marathon.  I had run the marathon once and I recalled that it passed through Wellesley, but I never gave any thought to what it must be like to manage the middle five miles of a world-class event like that.  Then I realized that it was the following Monday.  Then Chief Cunningham informed me that he was running in it and wouldn’t be around, so I was in charge.  Everyone had a laugh at the expression on my face.  Of course, the department had handled a hundred marathons by then so everyone knew their jobs.  And my old academy classmate, Peter Nahass, who was still a sergeant then, took my under his wing and told me he’d make me look good.  And he did; it went off without a hitch.”

Brooks says the example set by Cunningham and the support of the rest of the department will help him take the next step.

Meanwhile, we hear the market for limited edition Bill Brooks WPD police cards (seen above) has reportedly shot up this week. If only we could put our hands on our autographed edition.

Share/Bookmark

The Wellesley Police Department is investigating several breaks into unoccupied  homes that occurred overnight, and possible ties to an arrest made by the Newton Police Department.

The incidents began at 1:55 AM on Jan. 20, when a resident of Orchard Street called to report  hearing breaking glass and seeing footprints in the snow near his home.  Responding officers found a screen had been cut and a basement window broken, but it did not appear entry had been gained.  Officers followed footprints in  the newly fallen snow to another home on Orchard.  There they discovered an open door and entered to check the home, but found it vacant.  It appeared the home had been entered but the owners were not home and it is unclear what, if anything, was missing.

Officers continued to follow the footprints which brought them to a home on  Washington Street, also vacant, which had been entered.  Officers checked that  home but it was empty.  During the search, Wellesley police officers communicated with the Newton and Weston police departments, and Weston officers joined in the search for the subject.  Officers found that the subject had slashed the screen of a porch at a home on Glen Road, but did not get into the home.

As officers were following the footprints and searching the neighborhood, they heard a call for a break in Newton near the Wellesley town line.  Newton police  officers responded to the scene and caught a man inside the home.  He was arrested by Newton police and charged with the break.

At this time, Wellesley detectives are processing several scenes and investigating the man’s ties to the Wellesley breaks.  In addition to the breaks described here, officers followed the footprints to the doors and windows of  approximately ten homes in the neighborhood.

RELATED: Wellesley Police investigating weekend break-ins

Share/Bookmark

The Wellesley Police Department is investigating two residential break-ins over the long holiday weekend. The first occurred in the Lowell/Cliff Road area and was reported to the department on Sunday, Jan. 15 in the late evening. The homeowner, who was away for two days, discovered the break-in upon returning home. Entry to the home was gained by smashing a window to a door in the rear of the dwelling. Small items were taken from the bedroom.

Share/Bookmark

Share/Bookmark

Share/Bookmark

@BostonC75 spotted this innovative parking strategy at the 93 Worcester St. garage in Wellesley. Wellesley Police are on the case (UPDATE: Boston.com has details on what the heck happened here).

Share/Bookmark

Share/Bookmark

Share/Bookmark

A woman was reported to have wielded a knife and demanded money at the Westside Mobile gas station on Rte. 9 east in Wellesley on Christmas night around 7pm, according to Fox News Boston.  The woman is believed to have possibly committed a robbery in Framingham earlier, working her way up Rte. 9.

Share/Bookmark

Officer Mike Lemenager and Officer Kathy Lameiras are investigating several thefts of packages which had been delivered to homes on Pine Street.  The thefts occurred on Wednesday, December 21, during the day.  Residents on Pine Street reported that packages delivered to their front doors by UPS, FedEx, and the United States Postal Service apparently had been stolen during daylight hours when residents were not home.

In one case, an opened package was discovered on Pine Street.  Thieves apparently had opened the parcel after stealing it from the front step, and then discarded it on the street.  Although these types of thefts have been occurring in some of the surrounding towns, this is the first known instance of package thefts in Wellesley this holiday season.

The Wellesley Police Department urges residents to have packages delivered to areas of their homes that are not readily visible to people on the street.  This includes side doors, inside of porches, or other inconspicuous locations.  Package delivery services will often honor requests to leave parcels in other areas of the home if residents leave instructions on where they should be placed.   Placing a small sign on the front door with these instructions is often sufficient.

Share/Bookmark