Fitchburg State University recently celebrated the graduation of its latest police recruit officer class, with all 10 graduates already hired by municipal police departments across Massachusetts.
Members of the 7th recruit officer course recalled being forged by COVID as they completed the groundbreaking program that blends academic and tactical training, allowing graduates to complete both bachelor’s and master’s degrees along with full certification to work in municipal police departments in just five years. The program was developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Commission (MPTC).
In his address as class leader, Cooper Howell of Acushnet recalled the experience of his classmates as high school students who graduated during COVID. “We were presented with an unprecedented situation and took it in stride and figured it out,” he said. “It gave us the ability to become problem-solvers, which will be crucial for the rest of our lives as we start our careers in law enforcement.”
Adapting to the challenges of the pandemic also inspired the students to consider their ambitions, he said. “While most people our age were taking gap years, or no longer planning on going to college because of what was going on, this group of officers stayed locked in, and committed their next four years to getting where we are today.”
Howell also recalled the political turmoil surrounding the police profession as this group began their studies.
“It was a time of distrust and tension between law enforcement and the members of our nation,” Howell said. “Rather than make what could have been a very smooth transition into the traditional criminal justice track and away from the police concentration of this program, the 10 new officers sitting in front of you decided to stand fast. I think that speaks volumes to the type of people that my classmates are and shows how dedicated they were to what they knew to be their calling.
“This program is truly like no other,” Howell continued. “Through four years of undergrad work, it prepared us academically and gave us an advantage that officers in traditional police academies don’t get. Not just because we had a degree, but because we had been attending specific classes and getting specific curriculum on areas that aren’t normally covered until you reach the academy. It gave us a leg up in numerous areas of studies, and gave us a better idea of what was happening when we got here.”
Fitchburg State President Donna Hodge also addressed the graduates and guests.
“The program whose graduates we recognize today is a remarkable example of the work public colleges and universities can do when smart, motivated people get together to find innovative solutions to the challenges of the day,” she said. “In this case, there was a recognition that a new model of police training would be a worthwhile experiment, one that bridged the worlds of academic inquiry and tactical training. The outcome of those visionary discussions is before us today, and our communities will be stronger, and safer, because of it.”
Hodge congratulated the departments who have hired the new graduates and thanked the family members and loved ones who had supported them on their journeys. “And to our graduates, we are so very proud of what you have achieved, and so grateful to call you graduates of Fitchburg State University,” she said. “Be well, stay safe, and keep setting incredible goals for yourself, because today you have proven that you can achieve them.”
State Rep. Michael Kushmerek, who studied criminal justice during his own undergraduate years at Fitchburg State, told the graduates to remember the importance of compassion as they enter their careers.
“My message to our recruits here today is to remember that same empathy, compassion, conviction and dignity that you have treated your fellow graduates and faculty with, and to use those same skills out there on the streets,” Kushmerek said. “Often when you arrive at a scene you’ll be there on somebody’s worst day. I hope you treat them with the same dignity and compassion you hope your loved one would be treated with.”
MPTC Director of Training Andrea Nardone saluted the resilience of the graduates who had persevered through great challenges to arrive at this point. As they begin their careers, she urged them to foster connections with the communities they will serve. “As a law enforcement officer, it’s all about the relationships you build,” she said. “Remember to stop and say hello and get to know your community.”
In her address, Academy Director Ola Wysocki saluted the members of the 7th ROC for being thoughtful, considerate and independent thinkers. “The recruits of the 7th ROC have heart, grit, and determination,” she said. “They have heard me say on too many occasions that this is what they must have as police officers.”
The members of the 7th ROC, and the departments that have hired them, include Cameron Bern of Upton (Upton Police Department), Justin Cappuccio of Westborough (Hopkinton Police Department), Jordyn Gagliardi of Dalton (Chatham Police Department), George Haddad of Burlington (Nantucket Police Department), Cooper Howell of Acushnet (Fairhaven Police Department), Robert Lee of Billerica (Billerica Police Department), Hunter Luby of Millbury (Northborough Police Department), Dominic Marabello of Princeton (Sudbury Police Department), Alex Stellato of Phillipston (Townsend Police Department), and Caleb Tolley of Yarmouth (Dennis Police Department).
To learn more about the police program, please visit https://www.fitchburgstate.edu/academics/programs/police-program-41-concentration-criminal-justice-bs.