SOUTHBRIDGE — The Baker-Polito Administration recently marked the opening of a new municipal police training center in Central Massachusetts at the Southbridge Innovation Center, that will help support local police departments’ training needs under the requirements of the recently signed police reform law. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy joined community leaders to commemorate the opening of this 36,000 square foot, state-of-the-art police training facility. The Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC), an agency within the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), will use this training space to deliver standardized officer training as part of its regional approach to support the implementation of the 2020 police reform law.
The MPTC training center in Southbridge is one of several facilities statewide where the MPTC will offer its newly developed Bridge Academy. The 200-hour training program enables local officers who did not previously attend an 800-hour, full-time police academy to earn certification by bridging the gap between any prior training and the new uniform standards now required by law. The newly created Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission is charged with administering the certification process. To date, 800 officers are enrolled in the bridge program, which is offered free of charge to local departments with officers in need of additional training to meet the law’s requirements.
“Today’s ceremony demonstrates our Administration’s commitment to implementing police reform and supporting local law enforcement with training opportunities close to the communities where they serve,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “We appreciate the commitment of our partners in the community and at the Southbridge Innovation Center for helping the MPTC establish this important space. The police reform law we enacted in 2020 will improve accountability and transparency for law enforcement across the Commonwealth, and the Bridge Academy is a key part of our work to achieve those goals.”
“This facility creates new opportunities to strengthen public safety in Central Massachusetts as we implement the landmark police reform law signed by our Administration just over a year ago,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. “The training center will offer central and convenient access for local departments and their officers, advancing the Commonwealth’s efforts to achieve uniform standardized training, implement police reform, and improve community safety across the Commonwealth.”
At the Southbridge Innovation Center, officers will train in nearly 36,000 square feet of dedicated space that includes 14 classrooms and other gathering spaces. At this site, the MPTC will conduct in-person instruction for de-escalation training based on the new use-of-force policies and regulations mandated by the police reform law. Courses will also include police leadership training conducted by FBI-LEEDA, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Association of School Resource Officers, and other police education leaders. In addition, the facility will offer statutorily mandated in-service training to some of the 24,000 officers across the Commonwealth.
“The opening of MPTC’s Southbridge campus marks an exciting milestone in our continued efforts to ensure the highest level of training standards for police officers throughout the Commonwealth,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “The MPTC, in close coordination with EOPSS, is working diligently to advance the mandates established by the police reform law, including its primary objective to standardize training for all members of law enforcement.”