Former Bedford police chief Eunson dies
Apr 10, 2018He was 89Eunson lived in Bedford his entire life, and saw the town grow from a small farming community to one that attracted tech and biomedical companies.Eunson joined the department as an officer on July 13, 1953. He was promoted to sergeant in 1957 and chief on Sept. 1,1959 -- a post he would remain in until he retired on July 30, 1993. He also had a brief stint as Bedford’s acting fire chief in 1973 and served in the U.S. Navy after World War II.During his time as police chief, Eunson was known for a mix of traditional management and a willingness to embrace new and emerging law enforcement tools, as well as an open communication style."He was very old school in his management style, but he was very people-oriented," Selectmen Mike Rosenberg said. "I began working as the editor of the Bedford Minuteman in 1973, and during the six years I was editor we had a very congenial relationship. It was easy to get the info I was entitled to; he was very accessible."While he seemed to embrace the role of disciplinarian and manager, Eunson’s wit, occasional sarcasm and sharpness drew the admiration of his officers and counterparts. He also loved baseball, and was remembered for his regular chats about the Red Sox around the police station.“Chief Eunson commanded a measure of respect. He worked the trenches and came off as an old-school chief, but he fundamentally changed and modernized the Bedford Police Department in many ways,” said Bedford Chief Robert Bongiorno. “He may have carried a six-shot service revolver low on his hip, but he also made Bedford one of the first police departments in the region to embrace computers and adopt cruiser cameras, years before most other agencies.”Born on July 5, 1928, Eunson grew up on a farm in Bedford and was part of a Bedford Junior High baseball team that went undefeated in 1945. Along with his brother, Jack, the Eunson boys kept the neighborhood kids busy with their own hybrid game that was said to be part basketball, part hockey in a converted recreati... (Wicked Local)
