Winthrop Fall Forum highlights public safety departments

Public safety was the focus of the annual Winthrop Fall Forum held at the DeLeo Senior Center last week.

Each year, the town holds two town forums. In spring, the focus is on the coming fiscal year budget, while in the fall, town services are highlighted.

This year, Winthrop residents heard from the inspectional services director, the fire chief and the police chief.

Inspectional Services Director Al Legee spoke about the building and health enforcement sides of his department.

On the building side of the department, Legee said the town takes in the application for new construction, as well as additions to existing structures.

“We also do zoning review, which means if someone puts in application in to construct a new house, an addition, it might have to go to the board of appeals,” said Legee. “We write them a letter of denial and then send it to the board of appeals.”

The inspectional services department also includes the plumbing and electrical inspectors, and the weights and measures department. While the department is charged with doing the proper inspections, Legee said it takes pride in helping the homeowners and businesses that come in to make sure they can work their way through the process and do everything correctly.

“Our health enforcement is a little more detailed, we do a lot of different things,” said Legee. “We do the restaurant inspections, which are done by Sharon Sicurella. She does a great job making sure they stay up to standards and in compliance.”

Other activities on the health enforcement side of the department include taking in applications for asbestos and lead work, as well as testing the beaches for bacteria levels. In addition, the department deals with issues associated with landlords and building health and safety.

“Tenant and landlord disputes, that comes through the department a lot and we try to do our best to mediate and try to get the property in compliance as quick as we can,” said Legee.

Fire Chief Stephen Calandra spoke about the building of the new fire station on Pauline Street, as well as the service calls that came into the department over the past year.

“Oct. 17, 2023, I spoke at the fall forum; that night was three weeks away from a vote for a new fire station,” said Calandra. “Three weeks comes, Nov. 7, 2023; it didn’t go well. We were devastated, but we didn’t quit, we licked our wounds and we listened to the residents who told us they wanted to build a new fire station, just not at the old Kirby Funeral Home.”

The fire department got together with the town council and the schools and came up with a plan to build a new fire station at the old middle school site, Calandra said.

“Fast forward 15 months, April 5, 2025, we won,” said Calandra. “I am grateful to the town for voting in favor of this, my firefighters are grateful. It is not lost on us that you had to dig deep into your wallets; we all live here and pay the same property taxes you pay, the same nasty water and sewer bills.

“A new firehouse is going to have a beautiful conference room, so I’m going to say, Oct. 10 of 2028, you can hold the fall forum there.”

Calandra also touched on the town and the fire department’s efforts to provide ambulance service through the town and not an outside company.

“I don’t want to make money off the citizens, but if you have to call an ambulance, let us collect the money, not Cataldo Ambulance,” said Calandra. “Who do you want coming to your house, someone that lives in the town and knows you or a stranger?”

Police Chief John Goodwin, who is retiring at the end of the month, rounded out the public safety presentations at the fall forum.

Goodwin highlighted the department’s efforts in the areas of enforcement, prevention, and intervention.

“We do … anywhere from 120 to 180 arrests a year, there are over 11,000 calls for service,” said Goodwin. “Our patrol division is the backbone of the police department, it makes up 80 percent of the personnel.”

Goodwin said that when he took over from former Chief Terence Delehanty several years ago, he put an emphasis on improving the condition of the current police headquarters and training for the officers.

“We now have three firearms instructors, we have three active shooter instructors and these instructors are certified by the training council,” said Goodwin. “What we are doing is we are not going outside; we have our own training our own which is just much more efficient and which we are able to manage much better.”

Over the past several years, Goodwin said the department has also put an emphasis on investigating and stemming the tide of drug operations in the town.

“It takes maintenance, constantly paying attention to what’s going on on the street,” said Goodwin.