Friday, February 15, 2013
Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian was inaugurated at Bentley University in Waltham on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Before he detailed plans to improve his agency, Peter J. Koutoujian was sworn into his first elected term as Middlesex County Sheriff on Wednesday, Feb. 13. In front of a large audience of family, colleagues and friends, Koutoujian, a life-long Waltham resident and former state representative for the city, took the oath of office during a 4 p.m. ceremony at the LaCava Center at Bentley University. Koutoujian was elected to the post in November 2012 to fill the remaining four years of a six-year term. Gov. Deval Patrick appointed Koutoujian in late 2010 after former sheriff James DiPaola took his own life. Koutoujian, in a 25-minute speech, said he plans to boost correction officer wellness and hire more academy-trained officers. He said …
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian recently lost a bet over the AFC Championship game.
Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian followed through on his promise and delivered New England Clam Chowder to Waltham-based REACH Beyond Domestic Violence on Tuesday, Jan. 29. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Koutoujian, who lives in Waltham, delivered the chowder to the domestic violence assistance organization to pay off the bet he made with Baltimore Sheriff John Anderson over the outcome of the AFC Championship football game during which the New England Patriots lost to the Baltimore Ravens. The chowder will go to domestic violence victims. “REACH is an organization with whom I have had a long affiliation. While I may have lost the wager, there is no reason both REACH and House of Ruth Maryland should not be winners,” …
Friday, January 18, 2013
Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian has wagered on the Patriots/Ravens AFC Championship game happening this Sunday.
What makes football even more exciting? How about a wager between two sheriffs? That is the case for this Sunday's AFC Championship between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens. Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian and Baltimore City Sheriff John W. Anderson spoke by phone Friday and agreed to a friendly wager on the outcome of Sunday’s Patriots-Ravens AFC Championship Game, according to Koutoujian's office. “It was great to speak with Sheriff Anderson today. I always enjoy having the opportunity to talk with my colleagues from other parts of the country,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “He was clearly optimistic the Ravens will win Sunday, but I’ll take Tom Brady and Bill Belichick any day - especially this Sunday.” Should the …
Monday, January 14, 2013
Middlesex County Peter Koutoujian recently received an award from the Armenian government.
He never expected it – but Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian has one more reason to be proud of his Armenian heritage. For his work to benefit the Armenian community, Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian recently received a prestigious medal from the President of Armenia. Approximately 33,000 Armenians live in Massachusetts, with Watertown having the third largest Armenian-American community in the country, according to Gov. Deval Patrick’s Office. “At first, I was stunned, because I didn’t expect it,” Koutoujian, a Waltham resident, told Waltham Patch. “This is only once in a lifetime.” On Dec. 12, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan presented Koutoujian, who has Armenian roots, with the Mkhitar Gosh Medal for his work …
Friday, January 11, 2013
Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian issued a statement on Jan. 11 in response to inquiries on whether he would run for the Middlesex DA's seat.
Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian is not ruling out a run to become the next Middlesex County District Attorney. Koutoujian, in a statement in response to inquires on whether he would run to fill the seat Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone plans to vacate, said "never say never." “I love my job as Sheriff of Middlesex County and am focused on the work before me. One of my guiding principles has always been to never say never to any opportunity in which I can provide benefit to the people I serve. But today, I’d just like to congratulate Gerry on what must have been a difficult decision and thank him for his service to Middlesex County," Koutoujian said in a statement. Koutoujian, a Waltham resident, was appointed to …
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Local police agencies will now have access to more information on prison inmates.
Middlesex County law enforcement agencies now have an additional tool to fight crime - more and easier access to information about prison inmates. The Middlesex County Sheriff's office recently unveiled MIDNet, the Massachusetts Inmate Data Network, which allows police officers to access information on inmates in hopes of bolstering public safety, according to the Sheriff's office. MIDNet allows officers to find information on an inmate's status, charges, identifying marks, aliases and other information from other correctional facilities, including state Department of Correction facilties. As of Dec. 19, 39 out of 54 Middlesex County communities had enrolled in the program. “We, as police officers, have known for years that there is a …
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
The conference, held in Lowell on Monday, was the first step in an effort by local and national law enforcement officials to combat premature deaths from mental health issues by corrections officers throughout the country.
Hundreds of law enforcement officials came to Lowell on Monday, Dec. 17 as part of a new effort to help address mental and occupational health issues faced by corrections officers across the country. Spearheaded by Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian and the National Sheriffs’ Association, hopes were high that the information exchanged during the gathering can help build greater awareness on a profession that sees 39 percent more suicides than any other job in the United States. “For almost two years, today has been a dream of mine,” said Koutoujian, who worked on suicide prevention legislation while chairing Massachusetts House of Representatives’ Committee on Healthcare from 2003 to 2005. “Now we can begin a national discussion …
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Appointments made as 33-year veteran and Special Sheriff Patrick Murphy Retires.
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Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The following is a release from Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian's office: Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian this week announced his appointment of Scott Brazis to the position of Special Sheriff. Brazis, who is currently the Superintendent of the Middlesex Jail in Cambridge, replaces Patrick Murphy who will retire this Friday after 33 years at the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office. “This day is bittersweet for me and the entire Middlesex Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “Patrick Murphy served with honor, fairness and integrity during his tenure at this institution. I am confident Scott Brazis will continue to lead in the same manner.” Brazis has over 28 years of experience working in various operational, investigative, and …
Monday, November 19, 2012
See what one Middlesex Sheriff worker allegedly did while she was out on sick leave.
A Middlesex County Sheriff's Office employee is facing criminal fraud charges for allegedly working another job while she remained on medical leave from the sheriff's office. Joyce Drinkwater, 67, of Malden was charged on Nov. 19 with knowingly presenting a fraudulent claim to a public employer for a benefit, according to the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office. The sheriff's jurisdiction includes Waltham, among other communities. Drinkwater is scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 13 at Malden District Court. Drinkwater allegedly collected her full salary as she stayed on medical leave from the sheriff's office, according to the DA's office. Drinkwater claimed she could not work, according to the DA's office. "This employee's …
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian is organizing efforts to improve support programs for corrections officers.
Corrections officers face many dangers in their work environment, but none may be more serious than the stresses they endure from years of working in such an extreme setting. To improve the health and wellness of corrections officers nationwide, the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office is launching a campaign to better support officers who feel the heavy burden of their jobs. One part of the effort will be a conference to share ways to assist corrections officers facing mental or physical job-related stresses, according to the Sheriff's Office. The conference will host experts from across the country to discuss the causes and consequences stemming from a prison work environment. The Sheriff's office, in partnership with the National Sheriff…
Frosty the Snowman
12:52 am on Monday, January 21, 2013
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