Fitchburg State Launches 7th Class of Police Program – Sentinel and Enterprise

FITCHBURG — On Saturday morning, they took the stage in Fitchburg State University’s courtyard with bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice. On Monday, they were back on campus, beginning a 17-week police academy.

The 11 participants in the university’s 7th Recruit Officer Course will spend the summer gaining training in a variety of areas, including defensive tactics, weapons qualification, emergency vehicles and patrol procedures, and specialized classroom instruction. In September, academy graduates will be certified as police officers and eligible to report to municipal police departments in Massachusetts and neighboring states.

University President Richard S. Lapidus welcomed the class members Monday morning.

“This program is very close to my heart,” said Lapidus, who congratulated the students on their graduation on Saturday and wished them all the best for the coming weeks.

The first day is intended to be a challenging experience and prepare future officers for the stresses they will face throughout their careers.

Also in attendance Monday was State Rep. Michael Kushmerek, who has long supported the program as a means of training future police officers.

“We expect them to be the best and brightest when they graduate, and I wanted to be there on that first day,” said Kushmerek, who participated with the recruits in their physical training program on the second day of the academy.

The university’s groundbreaking police program was developed in conjunction with the state’s Municipal Police Training Committee, which authorizes academies throughout Massachusetts. The academy’s training staff includes MPTC-certified instructors from area police departments.

The Academy represents the first 12 credits for graduates of the Master’s program in Criminal Law.

Since the police program began, almost all recruited officers have had a job offer before graduating from the academy, including many members of the 7th ROC.