Arlington

Armstrong Ambulance Drops Santa Off at Saugus Fundraiser

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Armstrong Ambulance
87 Mystic St.,
Arlington, MA 02474

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018

Contact: Jordan Mayblum
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Armstrong Ambulance Drops Santa Off at Saugus Fundraiser

ARLINGTON — Armstrong Ambulance is pleased to announce that one of its ambulances recently dropped off Santa Claus to a fundraiser in Saugus to raise money for the Relay for Life.

On Saturday, Dec. 1, Armstrong Ambulance dropped Old Saint Nick off at Fuddruckers in Saugus to help raise money for the Relay For Life cancer walk.

Relay For Life is a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society that organizes community walks to raise money for cancer research.

“We were glad to be able to give Santa a ride to this great fundraising event,” Armstrong CEO Richard Raymond said. “While our ambulances don’t have a shiny red nose, they have plenty of flashing red lights to lead the way.”

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Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition Director Completes Harvard’s Leaders In Health Program

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Retained by the Town of Arlington Health and Human Services Department

Arlington Board of Health
Christine Bongiorno, Public Health Director
27 Maple Street
Arlington, MA 02476

For Immediate Release

Monday, Nov. 19, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition Director Completes Harvard’s Leaders In Health Program

Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition Director Karen Koretsky (front row center) with fellow participants in Harvard’s Leaders in Health Program. (Courtesy Photo)

ARLINGTON — Health and Human Services Director, Christine Bongiorno is pleased to announce that Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition Director, Karen Koretsky recently completed the Leaders in Health program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The Leaders in Health (LIH) program strengthens community health initiatives through introductory training in public health research and science. The LIH program aims to build the capacity of community partners by providing participants with an introduction to the fundamentals of community-based participatory research (CBPR), program planning and evaluation.

By earning her certification on Thursday, Nov. 8, Koretsky joined the ranks of more than 60 public health professionals certified by Leaders in Health since 2011.

Participants attended interactive training sessions, completed assignments and received support to create an action plan to enhance their work.

During the eight-week class, Koretsky learned about Community Based participatory Research (CBPR), project planning and evaluating methods to apply toward advancing the Arlington Youth health and Safety Coalition’s mission.

CBPR is a joint effort that involves researchers and community representatives in all phases of the research process. The program engages community members, uses local knowledge to understand health problems and design interventions tailored to specific communities. A critical element of the approach is the level of investment and engagement it elicits from community members in the research process.

Koretsky, developed an action plan and set goals toward improving the work of the Coalition, which focuses on preventing substance use and building resliency skills among Arlington youth ages 12-18. In her final presentation she described her plan for the Coalition’s Community Outreach and Engagement.

“Community investment in youth substance use prevention requires a multi-tiered approach,” Koretsky said. “Leaders in health taught me that in order to continue reducing youth use rates, we need to directly involve Arlington’s youth in the data collection, analysis and advocacy of our work. They must be active and engaged partners in our efforts.”

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Partnerships, Aggressive Reporting Help Arlington Respond to Hate

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Arlington Police Department
Frederick Ryan, Chief of Police
112 Mystic St.
Arlington, MA 02474

For Immediate Release

Friday, Nov. 16, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Partnerships, Aggressive Reporting Help Arlington Respond to Hate

ARLINGTON — The Arlington Health and Human Services Department, the Arlington Human Rights Commission and the Arlington Police Department are aware of a nationwide rise in hate speech and hate crimes over the past few years. The Town has risen up to meet hatred head-on every time an incident is reported. Police Chief Frederick Ryan and Director of Health and Human Services Christine Bongiorno report that the town’s partnership-based approach will continue until such time as there are zero acts of hatred in the community.

Arlington is one of the few police departments in the U.S. that reports instances of hate and bias-motivated crime to the federal government. Nationally, nearly 90 percent of all police departments report zero hate crimes to the FBI. In Massachusetts, 102 of the commonwealth’s 414 police departments reported hate crimes to the FBI in 2017, with 257 reporting “zero incidents” and 55 reporting no data at all to the FBI. Additionally, there is broad discretion in the law for labeling vandalism and graffiti as a hate crime.

“A swastika drawn in a public place and the destruction of a cultural diversity banner are not just acts of vandalism; they are acts of hate, and we treat them as such in Arlington,” Chief Ryan said. “As a society, we can avoid an unpleasant discussion by pressing different buttons on a computer, but in Arlington we do not believe that is the solution.”

Hate crimes have been on the rise across the country over the past four years, and Arlington is no exception. In 2017, the Arlington Police Department responded to 11 incidents that were classified as hate crimes (14 incidents were reported to the FBI, but three incidents were mis-categorized and reported in error and have been corrected).

In 2017 Arlington reported:

  • Seven targeted acts of Antisemitism, such as anti-Jewish slurs and swastikas drawn in public places (crimes motivated by religion).
  • Two crimes motivated by race or ethnicity (one act of targeted written hate speech and one act of aggravated assault).
  • One crime motivated by a person’s disabled status.
  • One crime motivated by gender identity.

Each incident was investigated thoroughly by the Arlington Police Department, and in each instance, relevant municipal and independent agencies, such as the Arlington Human Rights Commission, Arlington Rainbow Commission, Arlington Council on Aging, Health and Human Services or the Anti-Defamation League were contacted for a consultation.

“Hate crime response starts at the law enforcement level, but it ends as a community-wide response in Arlington,” said Naomi Greenfield, co-chair of the Human Rights Commission. “The partnerships we have formed among the police department, human services agencies and nonprofits such as the Anti-Defamation League and the diverse array of clergy in Arlington have proven invaluable. By working together, we are able to tackle the roots of hatred, rather than allowing incidents to fester and escalate by ignoring them.”

In Massachusetts, reporting agencies showed a 9 percent increase in hate crimes in 2017 versus 2016. Nationwide, hate crimes were up 17 percent over the same period.

Arlington’s 11 hate crimes in 2017 match the total in 2016. There have also been 11 hate crimes in Arlington this year through Nov. 15.

“The Rainbow Commission is thankful for the Arlington Police Department’s thoughtful and compassionate approach to these problems, and for Chief Ryan’s strong commitment to community policing and coalition building,” said Anna Watson, chair of Arlington’s LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission.

“We know that people can feel uncomfortable reporting crimes for many reasons,” said Mel Goldsipe, Rainbow Commission vice chair. “But I hope people see our Human Rights, Rainbow, and Disability Commissions as clear signs that the town takes these issues seriously. So people should feel confident that whether they report an incident to one of these groups or to the police directly, it will be taken seriously.”

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Arlington Police Alert Residents About Recent Residential Break-Ins

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Arlington Police Department
Frederick Ryan, Chief of Police
112 Mystic St.
Arlington, MA 02474

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Arlington Police Alert Residents About Recent Residential Break-Ins

ARLINGTON — Chief Frederick Ryan and the Arlington Police Department are seeking to notify residents about a recent rash of house break-ins over the past several weeks. Police are also asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a male suspect caught on video inside one of the affected homes.

Since September, a total of 11 homes in Arlington have been broken into, including seven homes so far in November. The break ins have occurred throughout the town during the early evening hours, mostly between 4:30-8 p.m.

Homes that are being targeted have typically been located on corners of streets or in close proximity to a corner. Access has typically been gained through a window in the rear or side of home that’s view is obstructed from the street.

Items that have been taken include jewelry, cash, handheld electronics and camera equipment.

In one recent break-in on Moulton Road, a male suspect can be seen on camera in a living room of the home using a flashlight to search the room.

The suspect in video is described as six-feet-one-inch tall, with a thin build and light skin complexion. He is seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt, long pants, sneakers and gloves.

“We are actively investigating these break-ins, and we ask the members of our community to call 911 immediately if they witness any suspicious or unusual activity in their neighborhood,” Chief Ryan said. “Our residents are our eyes and ears. If you see something, say something.”

Anyone who has information about these break ins, or who may have video footage of an incident is asked to call the Arlington Police Department Criminal Investigation Bureau at 781-316-3910.

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