Braintree council affirms Robert J. Kilroy Jr. as police chief, conditioned on third‑party background check

The Town of Braintree Council on July 7 affirmed Mayor Joyce’s appointment of Robert J. Kilroy Jr. as the town’s next police chief, voting to approve the selection subject to the successful completion of a non‑municipal third‑party background check.

Kilroy, who currently serves as deputy chief in Walpole, told the council he has 26 years of municipal law enforcement experience and emphasized accreditation, community engagement and careful initial review if appointed. “Accreditation is extremely important,” Kilroy said. He told the council he would first “get under the hood” of departmental records and operations to develop an accurate timeline for reaccreditation.

The mayor’s office presented Kilroy’s record and explained that a screening committee and the executive branch had advanced four finalists to the mayor; because the Ways & Means Committee returned the nomination with a split recommendation (2–2–1), several councilors used the full‑council hearing to probe process details, background checks and the candidate’s approach to training, morale and community policing.

Councilor Reynolds said he found aspects of the selection process troubling and announced he would vote no, calling parts of the process “blatantly unprofessional and biased.” The mayor’s representative and other councilors disputed that characterization and emphasized the screening committee’s work and Kilroy’s qualifications. Councilor Baraka and several colleagues praised Kilroy’s emphasis on communication and relationship building.

A formal roll‑call on the motion to affirm the appointment subject to a successful third‑party background check resulted in five yes votes and four no votes, meeting the charter threshold to approve mayoral appointments. After the formal vote, Councilor Reynolds moved for a unanimous consent vote as a “symbol of goodwill” behind the department; the council then recorded a separate unanimous roll call in that symbolic vote.

The council’s action includes the condition that the appointment take effect only upon presentation of a satisfactory independent background check. The mayor’s office said it will share the results of that third‑party check with the council, and if the check is not completed successfully the appointment would not proceed.

Kilroy thanked the council after the vote and said he appreciated the opportunity. The council recessed for five minutes following the confirmation.

What happens next: The appointment is effective only if the required third‑party background check is completed successfully and provided to the council as described during the meeting.