Tag: Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council

SEMLEC Appoints New Search and Rescue  Control Chief Following Chief Wall’s Retirement

Benjamin Paulin News , , , ,
SEMLEC Appoints New Search and Rescue  Control Chief Following Chief Wall’s Retirement

The Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (SEMLEC) is pleased to announce that Whitman Police Chief Timothy Hanlon will replace Pembroke Police Chief Richard Wall upon his retirement.

At a recent SEMLEC meeting, Chief Hanlon was voted to replace Chief Wall as a control chief for the SEMLEC Search and Rescue Unit. Chief Hanlon will be working alongside Somerset Police Chief George McNeil as the unit’s two control chiefs.

Each SEMLEC unit has two control chiefs who oversee the operations of their respective units.

As the control chiefs for the Search and Rescue Unit, Chiefs McNeil and Hanlon will oversee all search and rescue operations in the region to find individuals believed to be in distress, lost, sick or injured in areas that are either remote or difficult to access.

“We look forward to working alongside Chief Hanlon in the Search and Rescue Unit,” Chief McNeil said. “The Whitman Police Department has been a member agency of SEMLEC for several years and it will be great to see Chief Hanlon step into a leadership position within the Council. I would also like to wish Chief Wall all the best in his retirement. He has been an asset to the unit and we will miss him dearly.”

At yesterday’s monthly training the SEMLEC Search and Rescue Unit presented Chief Wall with a token of appreciation for his many years of dedication to the team and all of the communities SEMLEC represents. Chief Wall served as a control chief for SEMLEC Search and Rescue for the past seven years and has served in law enforcement for the past 34 years.

About SEMLEC:
We are a mutual aid consortium comprised of resources from the police departments of 30 cities and towns. We respond when requested by a chief of police to assist with search and rescue, special events, or major crimes. We also draw on some of the most talented police officers in the region to form the SEMLEC SWAT Team, which deploys when needed to save lives and protect the citizens of southeastern Massachusetts.
Our members are all sworn police officers from one of the 30 member communities. Our units respond only when called by one of the 30 chiefs of police in our region.

To learn more about SEMLEC, click here.

 

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*Missing Person* Wareham Police, SEMLEC Search and Rescue Actively Searching for Missing Man

Benjamin Paulin News , , , ,
*Missing Person* Wareham Police, SEMLEC Search and Rescue Actively Searching for Missing Man

WAREHAM — Wareham Police Chief John Walcek, who has activated the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (SEMLEC) Search and Rescue Unit, reports that local law enforcement officers are seeking the public’s help in locating a resident who was last seen in Onset Village on June 8.

Daniel Smith, age 47, of Wareham, was last seen on Monday, June 8, at approximately 4 p.m.

Smith is described as a white male, who stands approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 280-300 pounds. He has dark hair and is unshaven. He was last seen wearing a dark green sweatshirt and black shorts.

Anyone who believes they may have information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Wareham Police Department at 508-295-1212.

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SEMLEC Search and Rescue Warns Parents of “48-Hour Challenge”

Benjamin Paulin News , , ,

South Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council

Search and Rescue

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

SEMLEC Search and Rescue Warns Parents of “48-Hour Challenge”

National Trend Sees Kids Pretending to Go Missing for 48-Hours

SOMERSET — Somerset Police Chief and SEMLEC Search and Rescue Control Chief George M. McNeil and the members of the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council would like to warn parents about a troubling new online challenge among teens called the “48-Hour Challenge” where they pretend to go missing for several hours and are awarded “points” for getting mentioned on social media.

It should be noted that there have not been any incidents of this trend taking place in southeastern Massachusetts, but Chief McNeil and the SEMLEC Control Chiefs would like to make parents aware of the 48-Hour Challenge and ask them to talk to their children about the risks and consequences of taking part in such a trend.

“Missing children and teens and the effort that goes into trying to locate a person that has been reported missing is a very serious situation,” Chief McNeil said. “A trend like this could be cause for SEMLEC Search and Rescue to be mobilized to a community and spend hours looking for a person that his not actually missing or in danger. This would tie up vital resources that could be going toward dealing with real emergencies.”

The SEMLEC Command Chiefs recommend that parents speak to their children about how they utilize social media and ask parents to be vigilant in monitoring their childrens’ activities online.

“We want to make sure that parents are aware of this situation and hopefully there will not be any incidents in our communities. Of course, if you believe your child has gone missing please do not hesitate to call 911 or reach out to your local police department,” Chief McNeil said. “With that said, Chapter 269 Section 13A makes it a crime for anyone who ‘intentionally and knowingly makes or causes to be made a false report of a crime to police officers’ and charges will be filed accordingly.”

ABOUT SEMLEC

The Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council is a mutual aid consortium comprised of resources from the police departments of 30 cities and towns. It responds when requested a chief of police to assist with search and rescue, special events, or major crimes. SEMLEC also draws on some of the most talented police officers in the region to form the SEMLEC SWAT Team, which deploys when needed to save lives and protect the citizens of southeastern Massachusetts. 

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Photos: SEMLEC Search and Rescue Holds Successful Training Exercise in Dartmouth

Benjamin Paulin News , , , , , ,

South Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council

Search and Rescue

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Photos: SEMLEC Search and Rescue Holds Successful Training Exercise in Dartmouth

DARTMOUTH — The Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (SEMLEC) reports that members of its Search and Rescue unit held a successful training session at a Dartmouth nature preserve on Tuesday.

The training exercises took place on the property of the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust near Cornell Farm on Smith Neck Road.

The officers trained with SafetyNet tracking device technology. The personal devices, worn as bracelets, are meant to help locate missing people who are at-risk due to illness or disorders like dementia, epilepsy, autism and Down syndrome.

The officers separated into groups and successfully located multiple tracking bracelets that were hidden in the woods. Each bracelet had its own unique frequency that the officers followed with tracking beacons.

The groups then participated in mock searches where they located two officers who were each wearing one of the bracelets and hiding in separate locations in the woods.

“We have hundreds of residents throughout Plymouth and Bristol counties that wear these devices and every minute that goes by when an at-risk person is missing is crucial,” said Dartmouth Police patrolman Scott Affonce, who helped to lead the training session. “This training is a vital resource for our officers when active search operations are initiated and our unit is mobilized.”

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SEMLEC Search and Rescue Training to be Held at Dartmouth Nature Preserve

Benjamin Paulin News , , , , , , ,

South Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council

Search and Rescue

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, Feb. 12, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

SEMLEC Search and Rescue Training to be Held at Dartmouth Nature Preserve

DARTMOUTH — The Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council reports that members of the Search and Rescue Unit will be training at a Dartmouth nature preserve on Tuesday.

The training exercises will take place on the property of the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust near Cornell Farm on Smith Neck Road. The training will go from late morning until mid-afternoon.

Residents and guests of the preserve should not be alarmed by the police presence.

The officers will be training with Safety Net and Project Livesaver tracking device technology. The devices are meant to help locate missing people who are at-risk, with illnesses and developmental disorders such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Epilepsy, autism and down syndrome.

The officers will separate into groups of three or four and will each attempt to locate tracking bracelets that are hidden in the woods. Each bracelet has its own unique frequency that the officers will follow.

The group will then attempt to locate a person wearing one of the bracelets in the woods, in a mock search of a missing person.

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