Ludlow Police Promotes Two Members

LUDLOW — Chief Daniel Valadas is pleased to share that two members of Ludlow Police have been promoted.  

Sergeant Sean Knox has been promoted to Detective Lieutenant and Officer Matthew Dent has been promoted to Sergeant. Both officers will be officially sworn into their new roles on Friday, July 18.  

Detective Lieutenant Knox 

Det. Lt. Knox joined the department in 2007 as a patrol officer after previously serving in the United States Army. He served as a Field Training Officer (FTO), was a member of the Traffic Unit and also completed an EMT certification.  

In 2015, Det. Lt. Knox became a member of the Ludlow Police Narcotic Unit, assisting with the investigation and apprehension of suspects while collaborating with federal and regional drug task forces.  

He was promoted to the role of Sergeant in 2018. He has served as the Commander of the Hampden County Special Response Team (HCSRT), leading joint tactical operations and regional initiatives. Det. Lt. Knox has also managed grant funding and procurement of specialized equipment and currently serves on the community outreach teams of the Local Mental Health Team (LCIT) and the Veteran Engagement Team (VET).  

Det. Lt. Knox recently received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Westfield State and will be obtaining his master’s degree starting this fall. 

“With almost 20 years of working with the Ludlow Police Department, I am excited for this next chapter of my career. It has truly been an incredible experience growing as an officer with this department,” said Det. Lt. Knox. “As members of the department, we are committed to the care and safety of our community. I look forward to continuing to uphold the best policing practices and serve the residents of Ludlow in my new role.” 

Sergeant Dent 

Sgt. Dent is a lifelong resident of Ludlow. He previously worked with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department as a Cadet Correctional Officer before graduating from the Western Massachusetts Police Academy. He joined the Ludlow Police Department in 2019. 

He earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Worcester State University in 2018, and he received his master’s degree from Westfield State this year.

During his time with Ludlow Police, Sgt. Dent has received a number of commendations for his service in various investigations, including incidents involving barricaded suspects and fatal motor vehicle crashes. He was also recently honored with an OUI Excellence Award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for his outstanding commitment to impaired driving enforcement. 

He is a certified bicycle patrol officer and an FTO for the department.  

“It is a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to work as a Sergeant for the Ludlow Police Department. To be able to work in the community that has helped shape the very person that I am today is indescribable,” said Sgt. Dent. “We have an outstanding group of individuals who come together every day to make an even better team. I look forward to the future and being able to contribute in any way that I can to assist our department in its goal of crime prevention and community safety through the utilization of a proactive community-based approach to policing.” 

“I want to congratulate Det. Lt. Knox and Sgt. Dent, who have shown their dedication to duty, and their professionalism as police officers and as a Sergeant throughout their time with the Ludlow Police Department,” said Chief Valadas. “It has been a privilege to work with them through their respective careers, and I wish them continued strength and clarity as they progress to new responsibilities.  I look forward to watching them continue to evolve, persevere, and lead in their new roles.”

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