Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The Wilmington Police Chief was key in leading NEMLEC units who went to work following the Boston Marathon bombings, but he is quick to dish out credit to his officers and family for their support.
Having just returned home from what will likely rank as one of the most trying times in his law enforcement career, Wilmington Police Chief Michael Begonis sat down in his living room, answering questions from family members who had sparse contact with him during the days that followed the Boston Marathon bombings. Begonis sat down in his reclining chair telling his loved ones what it had been like to help search for the most wanted man in the country. And then he fell asleep in the middle of a sentence. That’s just how long of week it was. “It was a very emotional week,” said Begonis, who spearheaded the efforts of the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) Regional Response Team, SWAT teams and Incident Management …
42.5508
-71.172999
Wilmington Police Department
1 Adelaide St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/chief-begonis-thankful-for-support-while-deployed-in-boston-watertown
763591
/locations/9357528
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Does the massacre at Newtown, CT, signal the need for a political debate on gun regulations?
Before officials had even held their first press conference Friday, Facebook was abuzz with status updates about the Newtown, CT, massacre. The statuses were split between those sending their condolences and those asking if the country would finally deal with the issue of gun control. Some fought back, asking for respect and mourning before political debate began. Others remained fierce in their belief that stricter gun control regulations would have prevented such a mass killing, saying the victims were shot multiple times and with semi-automatic weapons, according to Fox News. The guns were not illegal and were, in fact, owned by the shooter's mother. Among them were a semi-automatic .223 caliber bushmaster rifle and two handguns. Those …
Wilmington Police Chief Michael Begonis said there is no harm in opening up a dialogue about gun control, but also said it's critical not to rush into anything.
Like countless others, Wilmington Police Chief Michael Begonis watched news reports in the aftermath of Friday’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., stunned by what he was seeing and wondering what further impact the horrific tragedy would have nationally and at a local level. “I reacted first as a parent. To see something like that is just so devastating. Your heart truly goes out to those folks,” said Begonis. “I also look at this from the perspective of a law enforcement professional. What things could be done to protect us from that? I’ll wait for the actions to come out and see what we can do in the Town of Wilmington in the confines of the law and constitution to see if there is anything we can do better.” …
42.5508
-71.172999
Wilmington Police Department
1 Adelaide St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/chief-begonis-hopes-country-can-learn-from-newtown-tragedy
763591
/locations/8413496
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
WPD stress awareness to prevent home break ins.
Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and reflect on everything good in your life. The Wilmington Police Department wants to make sure it’s not a time to file a police report. On Monday, the department issued an automatic notification system to residents reminding them to take precautions in securing their house when leaving Wilmington for the long weekend. Wilmington Police Chief Michael Begonis said the call was not to scare or alarm anyone, but to make residents leaving town aware that they are their best security mechanism. “As always they should make sure a friend or neighbor is aware that they’re traveling, because it is a traveling season,” said Begonis. “Make sure the house is secure and the cars are locked in the driveway.” Begonis …
42.5508
-71.172999
Wilmington Police Department
1 Adelaide St, Wilmington, MA
/articles/police-ask-residents-to-secure-homes-before-leaving-for-thanksgiving
763591
/locations/6673154
Matt Schooley
2:18 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2013
A comment has been removed from this article. Comments not related to the story will be deleted, as has been mentioned in other articles. Other comments were removed as well because they were connected to the original comment.   more ›