Police, Fire & Courts

Sheriff's office new comfort dogs to spread pawsitivity throughout region

There’s a new top dog at the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office — well, two, actually. On Thursday, Sept. 29, Sheriff Thomas Hodgson announced the addition of canines Jack and Hero, two mixed-breed rescues from Florida, to be the first of the...

Trunk or treat with Fire District No. 1

Dartmouth Fire District No. 1, in collaboration with the Department of Parks and Recreation, will host trunk or treat at the 10 Bridge St. station on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Those attending are encouraged to come dressed in their...
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Celebrate 100 years of Dartmouth Police at White’s of Westport

The Dartmouth Police Department is celebrating a century of serving Dartmouth with a policeman’s ball on Saturday, Oct. 1. The ball, which begins at 6 p.m., will be held at White’s of Westport, located at 66 State Road. A cocktail hour begins at 6 p...

Hundreds turn out to annual Fire District 2 clambake

Dartmouth Fire District 2 held its annual clambake on Sept. 25 as 200 packed the Russell Mills Village fire station for the longtime tradition. The meal featured heaps of clams, along with corn, sweet potatoes, fish, sausage, and linguica — all...

20-year-old arrested on several firearms charges

Dartmouth Police on Sunday announced the arrest of a 20-year-old New Bedford man on a number of gun-related charges. According to police, Koby Gedeon was arrested on Sept. 22 on a warrant for assault with a dangerous weapon. During a search, police...

Stolen vehicle recovered, alleged thief arrested

A New Bedford man operating a stolen car was arrested after being located at the Moby Dick Motel on Friday, Dartmouth police said. According to police, an officer spotted 33-year-old Douglas Torchia inside the parked car, which was said to not...

Police receive thousands in state grant funds for road safety

The Dartmouth Police Department was awarded a $34,677 grant for road safety through the state's Municipal Road Safety Grant Program, chief Brian Levesque announced Wednesday. According to a press release, the department will use this grant funding...

Fire District 1 open house Oct. 16

Fire District No. 1 will host an open house on Sunday, Oct. 16 from noon to 2 p.m. at the fire station located at 10 Bridge St. There will be equipment demonstrations, fire safety information, fun activities, fire extinguisher demonstrations, raffle...

Fire District 3 open house Oct. 8

Take a tour of Dartmouth Fire District No. 3's headquarters at an Open House on Saturday, Oct. 8. The open house, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will include station tours, meet-and-greets with firefighters and Sparky the fire dog, a...

Fire District 2 committee extends deadline for fire chief applications

The search for a District 2 fire chief is still ongoing after the district’s prudential committee decided at its Sept. 12 meeting to extend the deadline for applications until Sept. 16. The district has been without a permanent fire chief since...

Fire District 2 clambake Sept. 25

Fire District No. 2 will host its annual engine company clambake on Sunday, Sept. 25. The meal will be held at 1 p.m. at the station located at 1100 Russells Mills Road. There is a suggested donation of $55. Tickets for the event are limited. To...

Sheriff’s office awarded $700,000 grant to expand youth outreach program

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that it was recently awarded more than $700,000 in grant funding from the federal government for a three-year expansion of its True Course youth outreach program. The program, which was created...

Dartmouth man sentenced for viciously beating girlfriend

A Dartmouth man was convicted and sentenced this week for viciously beating his then-girlfriend in 2019, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office announced. Skye Soares, 26, is expected to serve six to seven-and-a-half years in state prison for...

Prudential Committee meets to rewrite fire chief job listing, saving $250

One week after voting to post a job listing for the position of fire chief, Dartmouth’s Fire District 2 Prudential Committee called a special meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 23 to approve a rewrite of the listing. The revision was made in order to save the...

Fire chief, paramedics save man’s life after heart attack at clambake

A man’s life was saved on Thursday thanks to the quick response of Dartmouth District 2 Fire Chief Greg Edgcomb and other first responders. The man reportedly collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest at the Allen’s Neck Friends Meeting Clambake...

Man arrested for attempted vehicle break-ins

Dartmouth police arrested a man on Sunday they said attempted to break into cars in town while on a warrant for a similar crime. Police said officers responded to a call on Country Club Boulevard at around midnight for a report of a man trying to...

Man arrested after standoff in Bliss Corner

A Dartmouth resident was arrested following a six-hour standoff with police at his Bliss Corner home on Saturday. The incident began at 10 a.m. after officers attempted to arrest Jack Bradford Gifford, 20, according to the Dartmouth Police...

Police help lost hikers

Dartmouth Police said they helped assist a pair of hikers lost in the woods Wednesday night. According to police, officers got a call from the hikers at around 8:45 p.m. saying they were lost somewhere off of Collins Road. The hikers had a cell...

First responders drill active shooter situations at Potter School

Dartmouth Police, Fire, and EMS departments are holding active shooter training drills at Potter Elementary School this week to make sure first responders are prepared in the event of an emergency. Police spokesperson Det. Kyle Costa said the...

Fire District 2 declines compromise deal with acting fire chief

The search for a new Fire Chief at Dartmouth’s Fire District 2 is ongoing after the department’s prudential committee again declined to pursue negotiations with current Acting Chief Greg Edgcomb at its Aug. 15 meeting. During the meeting, Ralph...

Two New Bedford residents arrested after short chase in stolen vehicle

Two New Bedford residents were arrested by Dartmouth Police on Sunday night and charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle among other charges, according to police. Dartmouth Police officer Jared White first noticed the vehicle, a Mercury Sable,...

Dartmouth sees pair of brush fires as drought conditions continue

Dartmouth saw two brush fires break out last weekend, Aug. 6 and 7, as drought conditions peaked in the region. The first of the two incidents occurred on Old Fall River Road on Saturday when a caller reportedly struck a rock while mowing a field,...

Police arrest sex offender living in woods behind Potter School

Dartmouth police said they arrested a sex offender who was living behind Potter Elementary School. According to police, the arrest happened at 5:20 a.m. on Thursday after finding 47-year-old Robert Magrath living in an encampment in the woods behind...

Report claims trans inmate raped at Dartmouth jail, sheriff's office refutes allegations

A former inmate at the Bristol County House of Correction claims she was sexually assaulted during her stay at the Dartmouth jail, according to a report from Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts published this month . The sheriff’s office,...

Former ICE detainees sue sheriff's office, federal agencies

A group of former immigration detainees at the Bristol County House of Correction are suing Sheriff Thomas Hodgson and two federal agencies over the use of excessive force during a 2020 altercation at the jail . Along with Hodgson, defendants...

Residents reminded to avoid leaving pets in hot cars

With the intense summer heat hitting Dartmouth, police are reminding residents not to leave their furry companions locked in their cars. Recently, the department’s traffic division placed a sign on Faunce Corner Road reading “hotdogs belong in buns...

UMass police chief placed on administrative leave

UMass Dartmouth Police Chief Haydee Martinez was placed on administrative leave this week, according to the university. In her absence, the department will be led by Interim Deputy Chief John Souza, previously a lieutenant at the department. The...

Unidentified man injures clerk during Cumberland Farms robbery

An unidentified man injured a clerk at a Cumberland Farms gas station near Bliss Corner while committing an unarmed robbery in the early hours of Thursday, July 14, police said. The man, described as a thin black male of about 30 or 40, reportedly...

Dartmouth Police hire four new recruits

The Dartmouth Police will soon be joined by four new members. The Select Board approved hiring the candidates at its July 11 meeting. The new recruits will fill three current vacancies and one upcoming vacancy, and will start work after completing...

Concrete spill briefly shuts down part of Route 6

Part of Route 6 was shut down Thursday afternoon after a construction vehicle accidentally spilled wet cement on the roadway. The spill was first reported at around 10:46 a.m. in the eastbound part of State Road near Cross Road. According to...

Generator causes garage fire

A generator is to blame for a garage fire that occurred at 7 Woodcock Road Wednesday afternoon, according to Fire District 2. Crews were called on scene at approximately 3:42 p.m. Upon arrival, District 2 firefighters found heavy smoke coming from a...

Fire District 3 offers free smoke detectors for seniors

Senior citizens in Dartmouth can have their smoke detectors inspected and (if needed) replaced for free, thanks to the town’s Smoke Detector Program. Eligible residents can call their local fire department to schedule an appointment. The department...

Jewelry store thief sentenced to prison

A New Bedford man who stole jewelry from two stores at the Dartmouth Mall has been sentenced to serve up to five years in state prison, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday. Jesus Torres, 29, pleaded guilty in Fall River...

Police investigating delivery robbery

A driver was allegedly robbed while making a delivery on Walsh Street Saturday night, according to Dartmouth police. Officers were called to the scene at around 9:45 p.m. to meet with the driver who reported the theft.He told police that while he...

Man arrested with illegally possessed gun after dispute at Dunkin’

Dartmouth Police arrested a Connecticut man they said threatened Dunkin’ employees with an unlicensed firearm. Officers were called to the franchise’s Dartmouth Street location on Sunday, June 19 at around 11:10 a.m. Upon arrival, they learned an...

New Bedford fugitive found in Connecticut

A New Bedford man wanted on charges of sexual assault who recently fled the area with his two minor children has been arrested in Connecticut. The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday that 46-year-old Leon Mejia-Vicente was...

New Bedford man wanted for child rape

Authorities are asking the public's help in locating a New Bedford man accused of the rape and abuse of a child. They also hope to find his children, who they believe to be in danger. On Wednesday, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office...

Man arrested for vehicle break-ins near Mirasol’s

Dartmouth Police arrested a man Tuesday suspected of breaking into multiple vehicles at Mirasol’s Cafe. At around 11 a.m. police responded to the scene following reports of a suspicious man looking inside of vehicles. Upon arrival, police found the...

Fire District 2 to renew search for new chief

Dartmouth’s Fire District 2 Prudential Committee decided at a Monday night meeting to seek candidates to replace former Fire Chief Timothy Andre, who resigned from the position last November . The move is the most tangible sign yet that the...

Fire District 2 officials signal intention to seek new chief ahead of Monday meeting

Dartmouth’s Fire District 2 Prudential Committee will hold a meeting on Monday in which they will “review the employment status” of Acting Fire Chief Greg Edgcomb before discussing the search for a new fire chief, according to the meeting agenda...

Dartmouth schools to see increased police presence through end of academic year

In response to last week’s mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, police announced Wednesday that Dartmouth’s public schools will see increased security through the end of the academic year. Police said the decision was made in collaboration with the...

Fire District 1 welcomes new firefighter

Dartmouth’s Fire District No. 1 added a new firefighter to its ranks: Alexander Magalhaes. The recruit recently completed his training at the State Fire Academy, graduating with 34 others on May 23 at Bridgewater State University. “Now the work...

Fire Chief’s extension at risk amid contract dispute

The contract extension of District 2 Interim Fire Chief Greg Edgcomb may be in jeopardy. At a heated Prudential Committee meeting on May 24, newly-elected members said they were blindsided by an already-signed contract that they, along with the...

Dartmouth man arrested following standoff with police

A Dartmouth man was arrested after an extended standoff with police on Sunday, May 22, according to Dartmouth Police. The man, Derrick Paine, 40, of 1 Fenton St., reportedly barricaded himself in his house with a firearm following an altercation in...

State Supreme Court rules sheriff’s office can charge commissions from inmate calls

The Massachusetts Supreme Court on Tuesday, May 17 affirmed that Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson and his office have the authority to generate and collect revenue from inmate calling contracts. Hodgson praised the ruling, calling it a “win for...

Four new officers join Dartmouth Police Department

Dartmouth Week - Dartmouth, MA news
Expect to see four new faces patrolling town. On May 17, Max Szteligan, Logan Larrabee, Everett Normandin, and Caden Kehoe were sworn in as the latest additions to the Dartmouth Police Department. The four recently graduated from nearly six months...

Missing Dartmouth man found dead

A Dartmouth man who was reported missing earlier this week was found dead Wednesday afternoon, according to Dartmouth Police. Police said the department received a call at around 2:45 p.m. from a woman stating that she believed to have found the...

Fire District 1 approves reduced budget, higher pay rates

Dartmouth’s Fire District 1 held its annual meeting on Wednesday, May 11 unanimously passing every article of its warrant with little discussion. In total, the meeting voters approved a budget of $1,358,715, a decrease of $17,672, or about 1.3%,...

Fire District 2 voters reject proposal for new full-time firefighters

Dartmouth’s Fire District No. 2 saw a record turnout at its annual meeting on Monday night, May 9 with voters filling the Russells Mills village station to consider large-scale changes to the department’s structure that were ultimately rejected. “It...

Police seek help in finding missing Dartmouth man

Police are searching for a Dartmouth man who was reported missing Monday. Anthony “Tony” Medeiros, 55, is described by police as white, 5’10” with brown eyes, bald, and with a goatee. He was last seen around 9 a.m. Monday walking along Beverly...

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