HOPKINTON — The Town of Hopkinton is announcing today that it has terminated its contract with Flock Safety after a legal review of the service contract.

A legal review of the contract between the Town and the company found that statutory deficiencies make the agreement unlawful under Massachusetts law. After receiving counsel’s review, the Town decided to terminate the contract.

The Town formally notified Flock Safety of the termination on Thursday, Aug. 20, effective immediately. The Town has asked Flock to turn off the cameras as soon as possible and physically remove them from town by Sept. 30.

“Municipal contracts must comply with procurement law, and it is our duty to ensure that we meet those standards, acting in the best interests of our residents and taxpayers. Once we found deficiencies in the existing contract, we acted to end the agreement,”  Town Manager Elaine Lazarus said.

“Public trust depends on both effective public safety and responsible, transparent government,” said Hopkinton Select Board Chair Shahidul Mannan. “When concerns were raised about this contract, the Town took them seriously, reviewed the matter carefully, and acted promptly based on the findings. As we look ahead, the Select Board supports a thoughtful and transparent review of law enforcement technologies — one that considers public safety needs, privacy, appropriate oversight, legal and procurement requirements, and community input before decisions are made about their future use.”

The Town of Hopkinton will conduct a broad review of the law enforcement tools and technology used by the Hopkinton Police Department, including automated license plate readers. The review will consider operational needs, privacy protections, oversight, transparency and the procurement process.

“Automated license plate reader technology has proven that it can be a very valuable tool in criminal investigations and active emergencies,” said Interim Police Chief Scott van Raalten. “Even so, we recognize that our community has raised legitimate concerns, and we take those seriously. We remain committed to transparency and to ensuring this and future technology reflects the values and priorities of our community going forward.”

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Hopkinton Police Sgt. Shannon Beloin and Officer Noah Buentello participated in the Special Olympics Cruiser Convoy on Saturday. (Photo Courtesy Hopkinton Police Department)

HOPKINTON — Deputy Police Chief Scott van Raalten reports that Hopkinton Police Sgt. Shannon N. Beloin and Officer Noah Buentello participated in the Special Olympics Cruiser Convoy on Saturday.

The Special Olympics Cruiser Convoy, part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Massachusetts, was held on Saturday, June 6.

“Saturday was truly a one-of-a-kind day,” said Sgt. Beloin. “Officers from all over Massachusetts take their cruisers and convoy into Harvard to start off the Special Olympics games and present medals to the Olympians. It’s an honor to get to be there and be a ‘hero’ to those who make it a mission to spread happiness and unwavering trust each day.”

The Cruiser Convoy may be the largest and most anticipated single day event on the Law Enforcement Torch Run calendar.

The event spans from the Berkshires to Provincetown, and the North Shore to New Bedford, as Law Enforcement officers convoy from all over the state to the 2026 Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games at Harvard’s Athletic Complex in Boston.

“They represent the best of society — how could you not love being a part of this event?” asked Sgt. Beloin. “Some of the Olympians were able to recognize us from years past and interactions from town, so it was a really special day to be there for them.”

Participating officers help to present medals, interact with athletes and enjoy a celebratory lunch.

“This was my second year attending the Special Olympics cruiser convoy,” said

Officer Buentello. “It is such a powerful experience seeing hundreds of officers and agencies from across the Commonwealth representing themselves in the name of inclusion.”

Departments are asked to donate $100 per cruiser to participates (or whatever amount feels appropriate). Funds raised directly support the athletes so they can continue to train and compete safely.

The convoy’s final destination is Harvard University, and officers are encouraged to walk around campus, watch Special Olympics athletes compete and present medals after competition.

“As cool as it is to drive down the convoy route with lights and sirens, my favorite thing about the day is meeting the athletes and watching them compete,” said Officer Buentello. “It’s just an incredibly rewarding event. I look forward to participating in the years to come.”

Special Olympics athletes participate in Summer Games sports including volleyball, traditional track and field, swimming, power lifting and tennis.

“There are few better ways for our officers to interact with the community,” said Deputy Chief van Raalten. “Sgt. Shannon Beloin and Officer Noah Buentello both put their hearts into their Convoy participation, and they had an amazing time. I’m proud of them both.”

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Hopkinton Police Sgt. Shannon Beloin and Officer Noah Buentello participated in the Special Olympics Cruiser Convoy on Saturday. (Photo Courtesy Hopkinton Police Department)

HOPKINTON — The Hopkinton Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance as the department investigates a suspicious video circulating online.

The video, seen on social media and posted to the Hopkinton Police Department’s Facebook page here for reference, shows a suspicious individual walking into the middle of the road wearing what appears to be a construction vest and helmet as a car drives by and swerves to avoid them.

The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with any information about this individual is asked to contact the Department at 508-497-3401.

HOPKINTON — Deputy Police Chief Scott van Raalten reports that the Hopkinton Police Department has arrested a resident on charges that include attempted  murder following a serious physical altercation involving the suspect and a 21-year-old man at Sandy Beach.

STEVEN DANA, AGE 70, of HOPKINTON, was arrested and charged with:

• Attempt to Murder
• Strangulation/Suffocation (two counts)
• Assault and Battery on a Disabled Person

At about 6:55 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, Hopkinton Police responded to report of a fight in progress at Sandy Beach, 1 Lakeshore Drive.

Officers quickly identified the parties involved in the altercation and began to conduct an initial investigation. In order to keep the parties separate, officers asked DANA, who is known to live in the same Hopkinton neighborhood, to return to his home and wait for police.

The investigation determined that DANA had gotten into a physical altercation with another individual, a 21-year-old male over the 21-year-old’s use of Lake Maspenock. The only boat ramp to the lake, which straddles Hopkinton and Milford, exists on Lakeshore Drive, and it is limited to use by Hopkinton residents only from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

Hopkinton Police reviewed video footage, which showed DANA slapping the male across the face before the parties ended up in a struggle in the water, at which point DANA is shown forcefully holding the 21-year-old under the water. Other people nearby then pulled DANA off of the male.

Police were also made aware that the 21-year-old had been involved in an accident a few months prior that caused severe injuries, and that he was walking on crutches.

Hopkinton Police arrested DANA without incident at his residence. He was transported to the police station and held without bail pending arraignment later Thursday at Framingham District Court.

Both DANA and the 21-year-old male declined to be transported to an area hospital for medical treatment.

Police believe that DANA approached the victim because the victim was not a Hopkinton resident and accosted him about use of the lake, which escalated to violence.

“This is an incident of senseless violence that could have had tragic results, and we treat matters like this with the utmost seriousness,” said Deputy Chief van Raalten. “The Hopkinton Police Department asks that residents contact the proper authorities to investigate incidents that involve the enforcement of the town’s bylaws rather than taking matters into their own hands.

“I want to praise our responding and investigating officers, including Sergeant Cody Normandin, Officer Sean McKeon and Officer Noah Buentello for their diligent and professional response on Wednesday evening, as well as our communication department, which fielded the calls from witnesses and relayed accurate and descriptive information to the responding officers.

“Our goal during an investigation is to obtain the clearest picture of the incident so that we can understand the circumstances, which is often difficult given the heightened emotions of the parties involved. Our responding officers did an outstanding job remaining professional while navigating this investigation. There is no place for unnecessary violence in Hopkinton.”

These are allegations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.