Thirty-four members of the Army Military Police and Air Force Security Forces are ready to serve their community as police officers after a graduation ceremony on May 1. The program they completed is the first in the U.S. specially geared towards Citizen-Soldiers.
Getting started
According to an article from the U.S. National Guard, the Massachusetts academy is the result of collaboration between the Worcester Police Department and the Massachusetts National Guard, spearheaded by Worcester Police Sgt. Richard Cipro, who is also a major in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. The Police Department said that Cipro was responsible for bringing the pilot program to Worcester.
"When we started, I was already a police sergeant and a law enforcement certified trainer in the state," Cipro said, according to an article on the Guard's website. "We analyzed and tried to figure out how to put together an academy designed for Guardsmen."
A career in law enforcement can be a great fit for someone with a military background.
The 34 members of the graduating class went through 16 weeks of instruction that included physical training, first responder training, classroom study, and applied patrol procedures and scenario-based exercises, according to the Worcester Police Department. Coursework was conducted by Worcester police officers from various departments, as well as guest instructors from outside agencies that included both law enforcement officials and civilians.
Looking forward
While still a new concept, the U.S. National Guard reported that the academy has already caught the attention of other states, as well as the U.S. Army. The success of the academy could very well lead to replication of the program in the near future.
"I couldn't be more proud of the soldiers and airmen who accomplished this," Cipro said, according to the National Guard website. "I do get a little emotional when I talk about it because we took it from the beginning four years ago and this is the culmination of it. I'm excited for them and to carry this into the future."