WILMINGTON — The City of Wilmington has appointed former Police Chief Ralph Evangelous to serve as interim chief beginning June 30 while the nationwide search for the outgoing Chief Donny Williams’ replacement continues.
Evangelous retired from his 16-year tenure as chief in early 2020, closing out a career of nearly 50 years spent in law enforcement. He then took on the interim chief position in Wrightsville Beach; he still remains an active reserve officer for the WPD.
Evangelous previously served in three Massachusetts towns — Southborough, Athol, and Gardner — as well as Temple, Texas.
He is credited with numerous accomplishments, including completion of a police training facility to include an indoor shooting range, the downtown police headquarters, and establishing the now vacant southeast division headquarters on S. College Road. Chief Evangelous is also responsible for leading the agency’s efforts in reducing Part 1 crime — murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. These reached historic lows in 2018 and 2019.
“Chief Evangelous is a respected and experienced leader who understands both the department and the community it serves,” Interim City Manager Thom Moton said in a press release. “He’s well-positioned to provide steady guidance as we prepare to welcome Wilmington’s next chief of police.”
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