NCJ Number
121899
Date Published
1989
Length
295 pages
Annotation
In 1988, the Governor of Massachusetts directed the Governor's Panel to Review Police Training Programs to recommend improvements to ensure that police training procedures were effective and adhered to the highest professional standards.
Abstract
The panel was instructed to review pre-selection medical testing and evaluation, fitness standards for admission to police academies, academy orientation and indoctrination, physical fitness curricula, modified stress environment of the academies, and requirements for academy staff. Following an overview of trends and changes in Massachusetts police training from 1921 to the present, the panel focuses on recruit selection and training at the time when medical reports indicated that Class 12 at Agawam Police Academy had experienced widespread kidney problems. The recommendations offered stress tightening medical and physical screening requirements; improving physical fitness and reducing health risks during training; and creating a more appropriate training environment including eliminating the use of physical exercise as punishment. The panel also suggests additional field training for officers graduating from the academy; a greater commitment to in-service training; and possible use of Commonwealth colleges and universities as locations for training programs, educational resources, and a means of securing academic credits for officers. 6 appendixes.