Two patrolmen will return to walking the beat by the end of the month, bolstered by the appointment of three new civilian police dispatchers, according to Lt. James F. Lyden.

Lieutenant Lyden noted that the returning officers will help restore street patrols that had been depleted following the retirement of a sergeant, the transfer of two patrolmen to other departments, and the reassignment of patrolmen to desk duty after dispatcher Ronald Weeks resigned to join the U.S. Postal Service.
Despite the addition, Lyden emphasized that street patrols will remain understaffed until the department receives authorization to hire two additional patrolmen, a request already discussed with Town Manager John J. Carroll. The three newly appointed provisional dispatchers—Francis J. Forrest Jr. of Norwood, Paul Concannon of Braintree, and Richard McDermott of Franklin—were named to fill the desk roles pending a scheduled Civil Service dispatcher examination. Concannon commenced his duties immediately, while Forrest and McDermott were scheduled to begin on August 27.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
More Norwood Police Stories
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Patrolman William Costello Steps Into Role as Norwood’s New Full-Time Safety Officer-August 20, 1977
Following in the footsteps of his lifelong friend Frank Walsh, 24-year veteran Patrolman William Costello has taken over as Norwood’s full-time safety officer ahead of the school year.

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Popular Patrolman Uno Carlson Bids Farewell After 35 Years-September 1, 1976
After 35 years of dedicated service to the Norwood Police Department—including 20 years patrolling the downtown business district on foot—64-year-old Patrolman Uno Carlson is officially hanging up his badge. To mark his retirement, Carlson was honored by both his fellow officers and the local merchants he protected for decades. During a special retirement party held…

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Norwood Police Quell Large House Party Disturbance on Natatan Street-August 20, 1976
A massive house party on Natatan Street drawing 250 youths erupted into a rowdy disturbance, prompting Norwood police officers Thomas Michienzi and Paul Bishop to call for backup.

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Norwood Gets 3 Patrolmen On Transfers-June 23, 1976
Canton and Medfield officers return to their hometown to fill immediate vacancies on the Norwood police force.
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Norwood Selectmen Break Policy to Address Police Hiring Crisis-July 9, 1975
Discover the 1975 municipal crisis that led Norwood to reevaluate its restrictive police hiring policies and the ongoing efforts to improve public safety on the “automobile row” of Route 1.

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Area Police Complete Prosecutor Training-May 24, 1972
Twenty‑two Massachusetts police officers received formal recognition last night after completing a one‑semester, college‑level prosecutor training program at Dean Junior College in Franklin. The certificates were presented during a brief ceremony at the Norwood Police Station, where Norfolk County District Attorney George G. Burke praised the officers’ commitment and emphasized that police prosecutors would remain…

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Norwood Police Chief James M. Murphy Considered for State Commissioner of Public Safety-August 7, 1969
Following an introduction by Rep. Alan P. Danovitch, Norwood Police Chief James M. Murphy met with Governor Francis W. Sargent as one of 15 candidates under consideration to succeed retiring Public Safety Commissioner Leo L. Laughlin.

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Norwood’s “Parking Picnic” Ends, Visible Parking Tickets and Fines Begin-August 17, 1966
After a 65-day parking moratorium, Norwood police will begin issuing new visible parking tickets on Monday under a revised fine structure authorized by the June special town meeting.

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Norwood Police & Fire Department Jimmy Fund Baseball Game-September 1, 1965
Norwood Police & Fire Department Jimmy Fund Baseball Game, September 1, 1965

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Eight Norwood Police Officers Take Civil Service Examination for Lieutenant-July 29, 1965
Two police sergeants and six patrolmen took the Civil Service examination for lieutenant, competing for a starting salary of $7,103.25.

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