LYNNFIELD — Police Officer Jonathan Santos has been promoted to sergeant.
A 2006 Lynnfield High School graduate, Santos has been a member of the Police Department since 2016, serving in a variety of roles.
Police Chief Nick Secatore said Santos has served as the animal-control officer, dispatcher and interim supervisor of the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. day shift, a position he assumed in December 2021 and still holds.
Santos has a master’s degree in organizational leadership and has had training in criminal investigations. Secatore said Santos has maintained all of his certifications and is dispatch-certified, where “he helps us out from time to time.”
“He is among the top scorers on the civil-service list for the rank of sergeant, which was taken last year,” said Secatore.
Santos was serving as a dispatcher in December 2017 when former Police Chief David Breen recommended Santos be appointed as a police patrolman. Breen said Santos was the top scorer on the civil-service exam among those who wished to be considered for the appointment.
Santos thanked the members of the Select Board and his co-workers for their kind words and support, following the board’s unanimous vote to support his promotion.
“(My colleagues) have been supporting me since I first walked through the door to dispatch,” said Santos.
Select Board Chair Dick Dalton said he knows that Secatore holds Santos in high regard, a sentiment echoed by fellow board member Joe Connell.
“Being recognized for your skill set and your expertise, but more importantly, being promoted shows the expectations for your advancement, for what we believe you can do,” said Connell. “If the chief has that faith in you, then we certainly, as a board, will have that faith in you as well.”
Dalton noted that under civil-service rules, Town Administrator Rob Dolan technically is the formal appointing authority and “our vote is merely to show our concurrence with the chief’s recommendations and the recommendation of the town administrator.”
“I fully support the promotion,” Dolan said. “(Jonathan) is a great addition to our leadership team at the Police Department.”
Several members of Santos’ family attended the meeting, including his wife, Amanda, 1-year old son, Jonathan, his mother, Frannie Tobia, and father, David Santos.
“My family helped me greatly prepare for this promotion,” Santos said. “I’m excited; it’s an honor. This is a great community to work in. It’s nice to move up the ranks and I look forward to what the future holds.”
