After months of delay, Detective Gregg DeBoer and Officer Matthew Santoro were promoted to the rank of Sergeant by the Hopkinton Select Board. The promotions were recommended by Chief of Police Joseph Bennett.

DeBoer is a 25 year veteran of the Hopkinton Police Department, having joined in 1999 as a Patrol Officer. Santoro was recruited in 2016 and has served as the School Resource Officer since 2018.

After a round of perfunctory interview questions, Board Member Mary Jo LaFreniere introduced the motion to appoint DeBoer, which was hastily seconded by multiple members. The vote was unanimous and DeBoer received a round of applause.

The vote to promote Santoro was equally quick, and both men stood for a picture with town officials. 

DeBoer and Santoro were initially considered for promotion on September 5, 2023, but in a surprise move, Select Board Chair Muriel Kramer tabled the process, saying she wanted to “complete our departmental review before we entertain promotions”. This set off a firestorm of controversy and prompted several heated letters to the Select Board in response to the decision. 

It appears that Kramer’s reservations have been satisfied, and it was all smiles tonight from everyone gathered.