Wilmington, Massachusetts Police Department
Official Website of the Wilmington, Massachusetts Police Department
The Wilmington Police Department would like to alert the public that a portion of Main Street (Route 38) will be closed this weekend due to construction at the railroad crossing. Main Street will be closed between Route 62 and Clark Street from 8pm on Friday, October 18 until approximately 4pm on Saturday, October 19. Detours will be in place.
Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes to avoid traffic delays. Area businesses will remain open.
For the second year in a row, the Wilmington Police Department will be taking part in the “Pink Patch Project” to bring attention to the fight against breast cancer and to support breast cancer research organizations in combating this devastating disease. Participating Officers will wear a Wilmington Police Department pink patch on their uniform during the month of October. The patch was designed by Officer Emily Stebbins, the Wilmington Middle School Resource Officer.
According to the Pink Patch Project website, there are more than 390 agencies participating in the program that have raised more than $1000000 for breast cancer research and support organizations.
Patches will be available for sale for $10 each at the Wilmington Police Department beginning on October 1. All proceeds from the patches will go to the Hope and Friendship Metastatic Breast Cancer Foundation, a Wilmington based organization.
For more information contact Officer Emily Stebbins at estebbins@wpd.org.
The Wilmington Police Department would like to extend an invitation to area residents to join us for national Coffee with a Cop Day on Wednesday, October 2. Coffee with A Cop was launched in Hawthorne, California in 2011 when Officers from the Hawthorne Police Department were looking for ways to interact more successfully with the citizens they served each day. Coffee with a Cop events are now held in all 50 states and has expanded to outside the Unites States to Canada, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Latin America. It is one of the most successful community oriented policing programs across the country.
Locally organized by Community Liaison Detective, Ronald Alpers, the program is designed to give residents an opportunity to speak with Officers in a comfortable familiar setting. “Whether you have a crime tip, a neighborhood concern, a question, or just want to say hi, please come down!”, he said.
Chief Joseph Desmond stated, “In the past, people only interacted with the police in times of crisis or if they committed a traffic violation. We are changing that in Wilmington with programs like our Citizen Academy, Police Explorers, R.A.D., and National Night Out. Wilmington is growing and Coffee with a Cop is another opportunity for our officers to stay in touch with our residents.”
Thanks to the support of local businesses, Wilmington PD is holding three Coffee with a Cop events to allow as many citizens as possible to participate:
We look forward to seeing you there!
On Sunday, September 29, the Wilmington Tewksbury Chamber of Commerce will be holding their annual 5k & half-marathon beginning at 10am. For the safety of the runners, there will be two temporary road closures in place:
Motorists can expect traffic delays along Middlesex Avenue in North Wilmington and Concord Street for the duration of the race.
For detailed race information including course maps, visit https://wilmingtontewksburychamber.org/race/.
The Wilmington Police Department wants to remind residents to use caution when hiring home improvement contractors. Unfortunately there are individuals out there who use high-pressure sales tactics to deliver substandard work or no work at all. Most commonly, these contractors will go door to door. Some will claim that they are already working on another home in the area and have leftover supplies.
These contractors will often request high up front deposits for the work. Once they start, they will “find” issues that they claim need to be addressed raising the price significantly. If you object, they will threaten to walk away without finishing the job. Some may never return after receiving the deposit.
Here are some tips from the Better Business Bureau to spot scams:
Residents should keep an eye out for their elderly neighbors. Senior citizens are commonly the victims of these scams and can lose of thousands of dollars on poor work that may not have even needed to be done.
The Town of Wilmington requires that all solicitors obtain a permit from the Wilmington Police Department. If a solicitor comes to your door, you can ask to see the permit.
If you are unsure about a solicitor that comes to your door or you see suspicious activity, you can contact the WPD at (978) 658-5071.
For more info visit:
Boston Better Business Bureau: https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/boston
Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office Consumer Advocacy & Response Division (CARD): https://www.mass.gov/get-consumer-support
Every day in America, millions of parents and caregivers travel with children in their vehicles. While some children are buckled in properly in the correct car seats for their
ages and sizes – most are not, if they are buckled up at all. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 46 percent of car seats are misused. To help combat this issue, the Wilmington Police Department announced today its participation in Child Passenger Safety Week, a campaign dedicated to helping parents and caregivers make sure their children ride as safely as possible – every trip, every time. Child Passenger Safety Week runs from September 15-21, 2019, and is sponsored by NHTSA. The Wilmington Police Department will use social media to raise awareness of the dangers children face when they are not buckled up properly. The Department will also be extending the hours of its weekly Car Seat Check on September 18.
According to NHTSA, motor vehicle crashes are a leading killer of children, and while fatalities and injuries declined in 2017 from 2016, there is still work to be done to completely eliminate these preventable tragedies. Car seats, booster seats, and seat belts can make all the difference.
Officer Matthew Stavro is the Department Traffic Officer and a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. “If your child is going to be in the car, you really have to ensure that it is installed properly,” he said. “If the seat is not used correctly, it’s not going to give your child the protection it is designed to.”
He added that, too often, parents move their children to the front seat before they should, which increases the risk of injury and death even if they are buckled up. “We often get questions from parents of older children asking when a child can ride in the front seat. Although there is no legal age requirement, we recommend that a child sits in the back seat at least until the age of 13.”
According to NHTSA, in 2015, about 25.8 percent of children 4 to 7 who should have been riding in booster seats were prematurely moved to seat belts, and 11.6 percent were unbuckled altogether.
“One of the simplest and most important things a parent or caregiver can do is make sure that the child is in the right car seat for their age and size,” Officer Stavro said. “Even if you think it’s installed correctly, come in and get your car seats checked. A short visit can make certain that the seat is installed correctly, that your kids are in the right seats, and that the seat is being used properly. We hold a weekly Car Seat Check event every Wednesday between 10-2 to help parents and caregivers ensure that their child passengers are as safe as possible.”
NHTSA recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as possible, up to the top height and weight allowed by their particular seats. Once a child outgrows the rear-facing-only “infant” car seat, he/she should travel in a rear-facing “convertible,” or all-in-one car seat. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing size limits, the child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether. After outgrowing the forward-facing car seat with harness, children should be placed in booster seats until they’re the right size to use seat belts safely.
Always remember to register your car seat and booster seat with the car seat manufacturer so you can be notified in the event of a recall. Parents and caregivers can view more information on car seat safety and locate a certified technician at www.nhtsa.gov/carseat.
As part of Child Passenger Safety Week 2019, the Wilmington Police Department will host a Car Seat Check event on Wednesday, September 18, from 10 am – 7 pm. Our certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be available to inspect car seats and assist parents and caregivers with the installation of car seats. No appointment is necessary. For more information, contact Officer Matthew Stavro at the Wilmington Police Department at (978) 658-5071.