By Genevieve Jinson, Community Reporter
Northborough – At the Board of Selectmen's Nov. 19, 2012, meeting, the board and Police Chief Mark Leahy advised the owner of the Motel 6 that measures needed to be taken to improve security at the motel. A number of improvements are now in place, Jayesh Patel told the board at its Jan. 14 meeting, including the addition of 16 security cameras on the premises.
At the earlier meeting, town officials were troubled, they told Patel, about the increasing problems at the motel. One of the more serious situations was occurred in June 2012 when two Rhode Island residents were arrested in the death of a Worcester man. Police at that time said Joseph P. Webster's last known whereabouts was at the Motel 6, where he was seen with Lara Cori and James Howze. Webster's body was later found in a Providence, R.I., storage container.
Police had responded to a number of other altercations over the past year at the motel, including an incident in October 2012 in which two people were reportedly stabbed.
At the Jan. 14 meeting, Patel said he is in the process of installing 16 cameras; all are expected to be installed by Jan. 20.
Patel told the board that he is working with the Northborough Police Department to keep the establishment safe. A patrol officer comes by every night, he added.
“I think Mr. Patel has done an outstanding job of following up on recommendations,” Leahy told the selectmen at the Jan. 14 meeting. “We appreciate the terrific cooperation that he's shown. Life has certainly become much quieter at the Motel 6.”
In other business, the board approved the appointment of two new police officers. ?Michael Bisset, 23, a lifelong resident of Northborough and a 2007 Algonquin Regional High School (ARHS) graduate, earned his bachelor's degree in history, society and culture from Colby Sawyer College, cum laude in May 2011. Bisset has served as the assistant girls track and field coach at ARHS and previously worked at the Northborough Library as an adult page. Joseph Donahue, 28, is a lifelong resident of Shrewsbury and graduate of St. John's High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in geological studies from Brown University in May 2007. He served as the freshman coach of the Brown men's crew team.
The appointments were effective as of Jan. 17.
