The mission of the Municipal Police Training Committee is to develop and deliver training, to set and enforce training standards, and to provide record keeping services regarding training to Municipal Police Departments statewide (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 41, Section 96B). These responsibilities are to be carried out in a way that ensures community oriented professionalism throughout the organization.

A message from the Statewide Health and Wellness Coordinator:

If you are reading this message, the chances are that you are on your way to entering a career in law enforcement, working for one of the many municipal law enforcement agencies across the state. It is my belief and the belief of the MPTC that the physical fitness standards that you have to meet to become a police officer should be sustained by you throughout your entire career. (See the Essential Functions of a Police Officer Word document) With that said, once you make the decision to become an officer by taking an entrance exam or participating in some other preliminary hiring process, your physical fitness program should also commence.

Good luck to you in your endeavors, as we all know a little luck never hurt anyone. However, you can do much more than wish for luck as you begin to ready yourself for a municipal police academy and the duties of a police officer. You can fully prepare yourself and help insure that you will have a successful, injury free academy experience as well as a long, healthy career.

Personally, I have served as both the Statewide Health and Wellness Coordinator and a Physical Training (PT) Instructor for the Municipal Police Training Committee. Throughout this time, I have been amazed by the large number of Student Officers (SOs) who enter the academy on Day 1 unprepared to meet the basic fitness requirements.

Despite having months to prepare, too many SOs haven’t started gradually preparing themselves for the physical training (PT) requirements by strength training, aerobic training, running, stretching, eating healthier to optimize their energy and fitness level, or practicing proper push ups and sit ups. This lack of preparation often results in many pulled muscles or worse during the early weeks of the academy. This fact is disconcerting as so many of the injuries could be prevented by proper preparation before entrance into an academy. I believe that many SOs think that the PT instructors are there to get them into shape. Please realize that it is YOUR responsibility to enter the academy with sufficient flexibility and muscular and cardiovascular endurance. PT Instructors are there to “fine tune” your performance and abilities, not to get you in shape after years of abstinence.

In addition, an injury and/or a lack of preparation could quickly end your academy experience as well as your career. On this website, you can view the modified health and wellness plan that has just recently been adopted at all municipal police academies. In summary, if you miss 31% or more of health and wellness activities due to an injury, you will be dismissed from the academy. Furthermore, if you cannot fully participate in health and wellness activities due to a lack of physical fitness, you will be considered on a modified health and wellness plan for each day that happens and will be moving toward dismissal from the academy. For example, if you cannot complete a mile and one half run with the rest of the academy class during PT, that day will count as one day against you. If you are dismissed from the academy, the question of whether or not a police department chooses to send you at a later date is a big “MAYBE”. That is where the luck I talked about will come in. I strongly suggest that start to prepare long before you enter the academy so that you are not amongst the ones who have chosen to roll the dice and hope that they can make it through the rigorous fitness requirements of the academy.

Please take the time to look at the various information on the website to help you prepare. I have also polled the health and wellness/PT instructors at the different police academies for their tips on getting started. I strongly recommend that you read over that section in great length.

Sincerely,

David G. Majenski