Mayor Erin V. Joyce has tapped Robert J. Kilroy Jr., a veteran South Shore lawman and current deputy chief in Walpole, to be the town's next police chief, replacing Timothy Cohoon after a recent leadership shuffle. Joyce announced the appointment Friday, according to The Patriot Ledger. The Walpole Police Department lists Kilroy as a deputy chief and credits him with years of supervisory experience there.
Leadership shuffle on the South Shore
The move comes on the heels of a change at the top. Chief Timothy Cohoon left Braintree in February to take the police chief job in Newton, and Joyce tapped Deputy Robert Joseph to serve as acting chief while the town launched a search.
Under a Town of Braintree press release, Joseph's interim assignment can run up to 90 days, with a possible 30-day extension under the town charter. Kilroy's appointment is set to end that temporary arrangement once the handoff is complete.
Kilroy's Walpole résumé
Walpole's department biography notes that Kilroy holds a bachelor's degree from Fisher College and a master's degree from UMass Lowell. It credits him with leading the department's work on the International Association of Chiefs of Police OneMind mental health campaign.
The biography also highlights his leadership awards and crisis-response training, the same credentials Mayor Joyce referenced in announcing the hire, according to The Patriot Ledger.
What happens next
The announcement did not spell out an exact start date for Kilroy or a detailed schedule for the transition. Town and department officials say they will release information on the swearing-in ceremony and the formal handover once those plans are finalized.
