I have to admit I was not a Southborough resident during the majority of Chief Webber’s tenure, but I am nonetheless touched by his passing. To acknowledge his contributions to the town of Southborough, I compiled this timeline of his career with the police department.
| July 1980 | Started with the Southborough Police Department as a part-time officer; soon after hired full-time. |
| January 2004 | Sworn in as Police Chief, succeeding Chief William Colleary. |
| April 2004 | After a bylaw was approved at Town Meeting, implements fines for repeat false alarms at residential and commercial properties. (ref) |
| September 2004 | Launches the new and improved police department website. (ref) |
| April 2005 | Proposes new restrictions for door-to-door solicitors at Town Meeting. (ref) |
| October 2005 | Teenage sisters Shauna and Megan Murphy die in an alcohol-related car accident. |
| January 2006 | Restructures police department to delegate more responsibility to officers. (ref) |
| September 2006 | Implements stricter rules for officers responding to teen drinking parties, including the administration of field sobriety tests before teens can leave the party. (ref) |
| May 2007 | Proposes sex offender bylaw to restrict where registered sex offenders can live in town. (ref) |
| June 2007 | Cuts down on overtime and reassigns personnel after the Prop 2 1/2 override failed at Town Meeting. (ref) |
| November 2007 | Institutes a new policy to further clamp down on underage drinking. (ref 1 & 2) |
| April 2008 | Sex offender bylaw approved at Town Meeting. (ref) |
| August 2008 | On its website, the police department announces Chief Webber is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. (ref) |
| November 2008 | Succumbs to cancer at the age of 53. |
More details on Chief Webber’s background can be found in his bio on the Southborough Police website.
Be sure to leave your thoughts on Chief Webber on our open thread.
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Obituary for Chief Webber
Open thread: Share your thoughts on Chief Webber
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Chief Webber undergoing treatment
