# SSPO Academy questions



## HELPMe (Dec 17, 2004)

Hello all well, i will have to attend the SSPO academy. I really have little to no knowledge about this academy. I realize that it is 16 week live in academy. However are you able to go home on the weekends? I realize that it is run by the SP so i am guessing that their are alot of 4 am runs and plenty of PT to go around. If anyone could give me some info just to help see what i am getting into it would be appreciated. Thanks


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## PVD24 (Oct 22, 2003)

ok, first of all.. its been downgraded to a 14 week academy, and its not a live in academy. You are more than welcome to stay overnight, but u can go home everyday or even stay in a hotel. A couple of my friends, stayed in a hotel on a weekly basis. There are no 4 am PT runs, but there is PT in the am. The classes are easy, and depending on who your DI's are, will depend on the Command and Leadership time... PM me for any other questions... Good Luck


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## HELPMe (Dec 17, 2004)

PVD24 said:


> ok, first of all.. its been downgraded to a 14 week academy, and its not a live in academy. You are more than welcome to stay overnight, but u can go home everyday or even stay in a hotel. A couple of my friends, stayed in a hotel on a weekly basis. There are no 4 am PT runs, but there is PT in the am. The classes are easy, and depending on who your DI's are, will depend on the Command and Leadership time... PM me for any other questions... Good Luck


HOLY CRAP! Thats a hell of alot better then what i was told. They must ike to f*ck with me..lol The LT. at the school i just got hired for told me that it was a 16 week live in academy.


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## fscpd907 (Jun 5, 2003)

Where are you going to work ?


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## PtlmRube (May 24, 2004)

HELPMe said:


> HOLY CRAP! Thats a hell of alot better then what i was told. They must ike to f*ck with me..lol The LT. at the school i just got hired for told me that it was a 16 week live in academy.


Don't be mistaken....its not a cake walk. You need to understand that you are at the SPA and need to act accordingly. Further, becuase you are there they aren't going to let you forget it. You get treated just like any other trainee....yes its easier than the RTT but its still no walk in the park. Don't go in there thinking it is gonna be easy.


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## County 5-0 (Jan 19, 2006)

HELPMe said:


> Hello all well, i will have to attend the SSPO academy. I really have little to no knowledge about this academy. I realize that it is 16 week live in academy. However are you able to go home on the weekends? I realize that it is run by the SP so i am guessing that their are alot of 4 am runs and plenty of PT to go around. If anyone could give me some info just to help see what i am getting into it would be appreciated. Thanks


What is the SSPO academy and what are you certified as when you're done?


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## Sgt Jack (Aug 17, 2003)

The SSPO academy is a police academy that was designed for non traditional Law Enforcement and Police agencies such as Colleges, Hospitals and other state agencies that have their own police or investigators. Although a demanding program in and of itself both academically and physically, the MPTC refuses to recognize it as a equivalent academy despite being more challenging than some of their own regional academys. It is however good as a full post academy outside of Mass in approximately 38 states.."When and If you graduate" as the staff likes to say you are a SSPO or Special State Police Officer...


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## County 5-0 (Jan 19, 2006)

Are Massachusetts DOC correction officers required to be SSPO academy trained, in addition to their CO academy, if they transport inmates and do they have arrest powers?


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## Sgt Jack (Aug 17, 2003)

County 5-0 said:


> Are Massachusetts DOC correction officers required to be SSPO academy trained, in addition to their CO academy, if they transport inmates and do they have arrest powers?


As far as I know the DOC does their own training and they do not attend the SSPO..not sure what their powers go as far as arrests...the closest thing that I've seen are DYS or Dept of Youth Services that have "Apprehension Officers" that are trained as SSPOs and attend the SPA but I am pretty sure their authority is limited to apprehending the so called troubled youth of today...


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

When I work at the Shaw-Shattuck-Redemption in Jamaica Plain. The sergeants or above had SSPO powers. There would be many of a scum who would come into visit their partners in crime whom had warrants outstanding. Once the visitor soon to be guest wrote out their visit slip and were run via LEAPS their name would come up via WMS even a few had out of state NCIC warrants. At this point the trusty DOC sergeant would place matching bracelets via his/her SSPO powers.

DOC runs their own academy and after time and promotion to sergeant I believe they get their SSPO powers.


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## badboys1517 (Jan 1, 2005)

You do not need to do anything to be sworn is as a special state police officer in the DOC, and not just Sgt's and above are sworn in, pretty much everybody is. There is no extra academy, or extra training. It's a joke. I was sworn in the day I started working for them. You just sign a piece of paper, and your "special state police" certificate is good for 2 years. As far as arrest powers go, it only gives you the power to make arrests on state (read correctional institution) property, etc. In order to transport inmates or take them on outside hospital trips, at least 1 officer on the trip has to have a special state police commission. Some of the guys that I worked with went out and bought the DOC Special State Police badge for their wallets, and walked around calling themselves "Special State Police Officers", when in reality they were just correction officers trying to be something that they're not.


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## SSPO#11 (Jan 11, 2003)

The only problem with having an academy for College / University Police Officers that teaches non-traditional law-enforcement is that our profession is becoming more traditional. It is becoming the same job that city and town PD's do. 

I know that when I attended the academy we had only one class geared toward our jobs on campus...Community Policing. <= I guess that was our non-traditional part of the academy.

#11

#11


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## Guest (Aug 19, 2006)

When I was at the SPA it was no joke. However I think the program is a joke now. It may suck having to go to New B. everyday but other than that, the SP are to busy with their own RTT, so the program has declined. You will still be miserable for a few weeks but, whatever, just suck it up. Although day 1 is still difficult I hear.


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## Sgt Jack (Aug 17, 2003)

TinShield36 said:


> When I was at the SPA it was no joke. However I think the program is a joke now.


While there have been some changes to the program with this last class...I am confident saying that it's defininitly not a joke...I went through two classes ago and got to help teach a block of instruction for this last class...they had been there for more than a few weeks and were still getting DI attention....true things had changed since I went through but its still no cake walk...


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