After more than three decades in law enforcement, Michael Begonis stepped into retirement — only to discover that his service to public safety was far from over.
Now, he’s one of the 2025 honorees on Police1’s Got Your Six list, a recognition reserved for those who go above and beyond in their support of law enforcement. It’s not a title Begonis sought out, but it’s one he’s quietly lived up to for decades.
Today, he serves as chief of staff at Verizon Frontline, where he brings the same mission-driven mindset he carried through nearly 15 years as a police chief in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The uniform has changed, but the purpose hasn’t: support first responders before the call, during the crisis and long after the rest of the world has moved on.
A career built on curiosity and service
Begonis didn’t always know he’d end up in law enforcement. Growing up in a family of six, he admired his relatives who served, but initially took another path. When the economy crashed and his construction business faltered, he looked to the long-term stability of police work.
In 1988, he accepted an offer with the Wilmington Police Department — the same community he grew up in — and what began as a practical decision quickly became a calling.
“I didn’t know what I didn’t know,” he said. “But I had a desire to serve, and it was an honor to do that.”
Begonis threw himself into every part of the job. Over the years, he served as a traffic control officer, juvenile detective, narcotics investigator and lead homicide detective. He followed orders, earned respect and rose through the ranks. But it wasn’t long before the weight of the work began to build.
After two back-to-back homicide cases, the pressure became overwhelming. “You’re 24/7, 365,” he said. “It was a lot. I said to my wife, ‘I’m missing the family. I’m missing the other things in life.’”
He tried three times to step away from investigations. Each time, his request was denied. So, he shifted course and studied for promotion. From patrol sergeant to lieutenant to deputy chief, Begonis steadily moved up the ranks until he became chief in 2005.
But no matter the title, his focus stayed the same: ask why, challenge assumptions and lead with compassion.
Changing the culture, not just the policy
As a chief, Begonis wasn’t content to simply maintain tradition. He brought with him a habit formed early in his career: asking why.
“I always look at things like, ‘If it’s wrong and it’s not working well, then why do we continue to do that?’” he said.
His greatest challenge and eventual breakthrough came during the early years of the opioid epidemic. At a time when most departments were ramping up enforcement, Begonis pushed for a more empathetic approach. He wanted to stop treating addiction like a criminal failing and start treating it like a public health crisis.
“I said, ‘We need to stop arresting people for drug offenses,’” he recalled. “And a couple of my detectives walked out, walked down the hallway and said, ‘The Chief has lost his mind.’”
But within a year, the same officers who resisted the change became its strongest champions: “They came up to me saying, ‘This is the best move we’ve ever made. I can’t believe how much impact I’m having on the families. For me, it was just an idea. But they actually made it work.”
It wasn’t just a policy change. It was a culture change. The shift in mindset opened the door to more embedded social services, including hiring the department’s first full-time social worker to assist with mental health and substance use calls. In a small department of under 50 officers, it was a bold step forward.
“I think that helped me understand the path to the future and how I could affect change,” he said. “And the only way to do that was to get promoted, to move up through the ranks and be able to influence these things at a greater extent.”
A new mission, but same calling
In 2019, after nearly 15 years as chief, Begonis retired from law enforcement. But he wasn’t done serving.
At a National Night Out event, one of the many community-building programs he had championed, a familiar face approached him. It was his first-ever mobile phone rep from the early ‘90s, now a director at Verizon Frontline.
“He said, ‘There’s something brewing. I think it might be a good fit,’” Begonis recalled.
That “something” was Verizon Frontline and what they needed was someone who truly understood public safety from the inside.
“Verizon was looking for someone who understood emergency management, who understood what police, fire and EMS needed, when they needed it, how they needed to be served,” he said.
He stepped into the role of chief of staff and immediately began applying his years of experience to guide strategy, operations and communication. But more than that, he became a mentor and connector — translating the real needs of first responders into real solutions.
“I can be the voice of reason and process,” he said. “We’re not thinking internally. We’re thinking externally about the customer and what they actually have to have.”
At the heart of Begonis’ work — and Verizon Frontline’s mission — is preparation: not just being available during an emergency, but having the relationships and infrastructure in place ahead of time.
“We don’t want to just show up and try to help,” he said. “We want to show up prepared.”
It’s a philosophy he captures in three words: before, during and after.
That means building relationships with local agencies, conducting exercises in blue-sky conditions and following through well into the recovery phase — long after headlines move on. It’s a commitment Verizon Frontline has made that shows up in disaster responses across the country.
“My team, the Frontline Crisis Response Team, is typically the first Verizon group on the ground,” he said. “They’re rushing to the crisis and then executing flawlessly.”
And it’s not about being visible — it’s about being useful: “We want to be aware of what your needs are first. Then we want to show up prepared … not try.”
That same mindset, to lead with intention and stand ready to serve, also shapes one of the roles Begonis holds most dear: his service on the board of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
In the video below, the Wilmington (Mass.) Police Department gives Chief Begonis a proper final sendoff and last call before his retirement.
Standing with the fallen and those they left behind
Though he was unable to attend Police Week while still in uniform, Begonis now returns each year — this time representing Verizon Frontline at the Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., where he reflects on the deep personal connections he has to those honored on the wall.
“It’s impactful,” he said. “Sometimes the families feel like they’ve been forgotten. And that’s just reality.”
It’s not just a ceremonial gesture, Begonis said. It’s a way to reaffirm a lifelong commitment — not only to his profession, but to the people and families behind the badge.
“Although they’re no longer with us, their family remains,” he said. “That’s what Police Week is about: to recognize the sacrifice these officers made and to restate our commitment that we are there for them.”
Verizon Frontline has shown up year after year — not just as a sponsor, but as a steadfast partner to the Memorial Fund and the loved ones behind the names etched in stone. The company not only sponsors the Candlelight Vigil, but also helps support the logistics, communications and events that make the week possible for thousands of survivors and officers alike.
“Verizon has been there since the beginning,” Begonis said.
And for Begonis, that’s what having someone’s six means: being there — before, during and after — in every sense of the word.
So when Police1 reached out to tell him he had been named to this year’s Got Your Six list, his response wasn’t about awards or attention. It was about affirmation.
“If this represents our commitment … that we are there before, during and after … then that means we are doing our job properly,” he said.
Whether it’s guiding strategy at Verizon Frontline, mentoring his team, helping shape public safety policy or simply picking up the phone to check in on a survivor, Begonis has never stopped standing in the gap.
“Got your six” may be a military phrase, but for Begonis, it’s a way of life — rooted in family, community and career.
“I’ve stood on the shoulders of giants,” he said. “It’s not an individual achievement. It’s a team.”
What is Police1’s Got Your Six list?
“I got your six” is a way of saying “I’ve got your back.” Police1’s Got Your Six list celebrates just that — individuals and organizations that stand by law enforcement through unwavering support, advocacy and community initiatives. Each month, we highlight those who go above and beyond to ensure our officers have the resources, care and encouragement they need.
For more inspiring profiles from our honorees, please visit our Got Your Six list page on Police1. Explore their stories and learn how you, too, can help support those who serve on the front lines.
