Select Board appoints interim police chief
Hopkinton's Select Board appointed Deputy Chief Scott Van Raalten interim police chief, effective July 1. The 4-0 vote, with Matthew Kizner abstaining, came as Chief Joe Bennett prepares to retire June 30. Members said an outside interim would cost too much and take too long.
Select Board · Meeting of June 16, 2026
Hopkinton's Select Board appointed Deputy Chief Scott Van Raalten interim police chief, effective July 1. The 4-0 vote, with Matthew Kizner abstaining, came as Chief Joe Bennett prepares to retire June 30. Members said an outside interim would cost too much and take too long.
Kizner said the move is not "an indication of who will be the next chief of police." The board also seated a Police Chief Screening Committee, raised FY27 water rates 15 percent and sewer rates 30 percent, and approved discounts of up to $200 a year for eligible residents. It authorized removal of 19 trees for an EMC Park sidewalk.
In the full story:
- Public Forum
- Consent Agenda
- Police Chief Screening Committee
- Interim Police Chief
- Annual Appointments
- Eagle Scouts
- Water and Sewer Rates
- Tree Removal
- Elmwood School Study
- Town Manager Report and Other Business
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report: 2,036 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of June 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.
Members read the rest of this story and every Hopkinton meeting we cover, in full.
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