On Saturday morning, they crossed the stage on the Fitchburg State University quadrangle with bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice. On Monday, they were back on campus, beginning a 17-week police academy. (See photos from Day One on the Burg Blog.)
The members of the university’s 7th Recruit Officer Course will spend the summer training in a variety of areas including defensive tactics, weapons qualification, emergency vehicle operations and patrol procedures, as well as specialized classroom instruction. In September, those who complete the academy will be certified as police officers ready to report to municipal police departments in Massachusetts and neighboring states.
University President Richard S. Lapidus welcomed the members of the class on Monday morning.
“This is a program that is near and dear to my heart,” said Lapidus, who congratulated the students on graduating on Saturday and wished them well in the weeks ahead.
Day one is designed to be a challenging experience, preparing future officers to cope with stresses they will experience during their careers.
Also on hand Monday was State Rep. Michael Kushmerek, who has been a longtime supporter of the program as a means to prepare future police officers.
“We expect them to be the best and the brightest by the time they graduate, and I wanted to be part of this first day,” said Kushmerek, who joined the recruits for their physical training regimen on the second day of the academy.
The university’s groundbreaking police program was developed in collaboration with the state’s Municipal Police Training Committee, which authorizes academies across Massachusetts. The academy’s drill staff includes MPTC-certified instructors from area police departments.
The academy represents the first 12 credits toward the graduates’ master’s programs in criminal justice.
Since the police program’s inception, almost all of the recruit officers have had job offers in hand before completing the academy, including many members of the 7th ROC.