# Full time and SSPO recognition in other states



## Guest

It's been awhile since it's been asked and trying to dig through all the SSPO jokes is tough. 

Does anyone know of confirmed states that accept the SSPO academy? 

Same question regarding MPTC full time academy? 

Especially interested in New England states that accept SSPO/Full time


Thank you


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## Sgt Jack

I can say with 100% confidence that Florida will take it as I got an exception from FDLE. All I had to do was an equivalency of training course and pass a state exam. I did get the opportunity to work as a Deputy down there albeit briefly as family drama brought me back. 
Honestly I'm really surprised that no one has tried a legal challenge with the MPTC. Especially given the fact that they've run multiple bridge classes for National Guard MP's. Their meeting minutes can be interesting reading sometimes


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## USM C-2

Mississippi will accept either one, although on a case by case basis - they will call up to MA and get your specific syllabus and class hours. The out of state certification is three weeks full-time or attending a few days a week during a regular recruit class... whenever the class is covering a topic you need. You get to wear uniform, badge and firearm, and the recruits are required to treat you with courtesy, though of course you are required to do the same with instructors. Nobody fucks with you PT wise, although none of us were dumb enough to behave like entitled pricks to people who determined whether or nor we would get our state certificate. 

Once that's done, you can work pretty much for any agency in the state. Of course, the summers have to be experienced to be believed, and the pay sucks. Other than that, it's not a bad gig. We're always looking for good cops. Even university cops are busy... I got called out at 0300 this morning for one of my officers who backed up the city on a traffic stop that went bad, and the driver shot himself. Cops all good, bad guy still in surgery.


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## Edmizer1

Sgt Jack said:


> I can say with 100% confidence that Florida will take it as I got an exception from FDLE. All I had to do was an equivalency of training course and pass a state exam. I did get the opportunity to work as a Deputy down there albeit briefly as family drama brought me back.
> Honestly I'm really surprised that no one has tried a legal challenge with the MPTC. Especially given the fact that they've run multiple bridge classes for National Guard MP's. Their meeting minutes can be interesting reading sometimes


The National Guard scam, and it is a scam, should never of happened. My understanding is that they used MPTC funds to run these classes. This is money that should have been used for MUNICIPAL POLICE training. They threw the book out the window to make these classes happen and I can only speculate why.

Read the recent MPTC minutes about a police chief candidate who had a high level FBI agent position which included overseeing running training programs for local police. This guy was a previous full-time Mass municipal cop for 10 years and a grad of an MPTC full-time academy. The MPTC tried to say that he "lost" his full-time certification when he went to the FBI. The MPTC wanted him to go back through a full-time academy. He pushed back and said that his duties at the FBI were almost exactly what some municipal cops are assigned to do and questioned how they could make that determination. MPTC looks like they knew that had a loser and a guy who was not going to let it drop so they let him complete some kind of special re-fresher unique to him and let it through. I can sort of see if he had never been a cop or not police trained but this guy had an MPTC full academy!

The MPTC wants to be a regulatory and licensing agency like OEMS is to EMTs. Although there are a handful of good people at the MPTC some are so bad they could make your eyes water. Their pictures could be in the dictionary under "Hack Appointment" What I don't want is some Deval Patrick appointed hack who's only qualification is that they despise cops to be overseeing my "police license". The only reason the licensing hasn't happened already is that they are too screwed up to get it together. We are about 3-5 years away from this.


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## JD02124




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## samadam78

Sgt Jack said:


> Honestly I'm really surprised that no one has tried a legal challenge with the MPTC. Especially given the fact that they've run multiple bridge classes for National Guard MP's. Their meeting minutes can be interesting reading sometimes


Especially now that they have been running the SSPO side by side with the SPMA.... such a JOKE


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## Sgt Jack

A big part of the problem is that rank and file campus guys have no political power when it comes to making changes. Sure groups the Mass Police Association exist but the MPA isn't exactly pro campus police. Then you have the MCLEA or the College Chiefs who basically put in the "Career Kill Switch" as a much wiser former member here once stated about the SSPO program.

Back when the MPTC was floating a bridge class for SSPO's and the College Chiefs killed it unopposed. I don't remember anyone that was a rank and file campus officer even so much as attending that or any meeting involving a bridge class discussion. Basically there was no one to challenge MCLEA's arguments that they would loose officers to cities and towns (which they often do anyway). I've even seen officers refuse to go to the SSPO knowing that they're up for a municipal job in a few months. When you ask them they all say the same thing "I don't want to do another academy".

This states lack of reciprocity with anything is beyond maddening. It's like they want to keep you in a goddamn box when all your trying to do is further your career. It's laughable that I worked at 900 member Florida Sheriffs Office in a county that gets over 500k 911 calls a year on my SSPO, but if I got a job in some Podunk Town in Mass I have to go another full time police academy. Oh wait..nope can't even apply as most already want you to have the Full MPTC academy already (my thirteen years of law enforcement experience be damned ).


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## PBC FL Cop

VT most likely would accept the SSPO...


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## felony

Sgt Jack said:


> I can say with 100% confidence that Florida will take it as I got an exception from FDLE. All I had to do was an equivalency of training course and pass a state exam. I did get the opportunity to work as a Deputy down there albeit briefly as family drama brought me back.
> Honestly I'm really surprised that no one has tried a legal challenge with the MPTC. Especially given the fact that they've run multiple bridge classes for National Guard MP's. Their meeting minutes can be interesting reading sometimes


If I remember correctly, a high ranking MP Officer in the NG, who is also a high ranking Worcester Officer created that MPTC bridge program for the 31B folks.

I know for a fact, RI does NOT accept SSPO but, will take MPTC full time, with a law package add on.


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## Sgt Jack

felony said:


> If I remember correctly, a high ranking MP Officer in the NG, who is also a high ranking Worcester Officer created that MPTC bridge program for the 31B folks.
> 
> I know for a fact, RI does NOT accept SSPO but, will take MPTC full time, with a law package add on.


It sounds like he's trying to back door people so they can get a certification and eventual police job. I have to admire the ingenuity. I'm not a lawyer and I might be too optimistic but with the MPTC doing that program and then jerking around a Police Chief applicant who worked for the FBI plus other things I've read over the years in the meeting minutes I'm thinking they're setting precedents that could eventually be challenged.


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## Patr8726

Spartan219 said:


> It's been awhile since it's been asked and trying to dig through all the SSPO jokes is tough.
> 
> Does anyone know of confirmed states that accept the SSPO academy?
> 
> Same question regarding MPTC full time academy?
> 
> Especially interested in New England states that accept SSPO/Full time
> 
> Thank you


Just a piece of advice. No offense to any of the very knowledgable members here, but take any info you find as nothing more than a starting point in your search. Whatever academy you've been through, get copies of the actual training transcript and start calling around to the MPTC equivalent in other jurisdictions. You'll find that as curriculums change in other states, there's problems with the # of training hours, or you don't have a certain class they want. Or the state might take a totality of circumstances approach to training waivers, so "that guy I know" who got one may not translate into you getting one too, because he had something going for him that you didn't. This is an area you want to do a lot of your own real homework. Spend a lot of time reading the meeting minutes of various training councils, and really chase down the "someone told me" type stories.

One other thing. I have a few buddies who squeaked by with waivers from their agencies a decade ago, who are now kicking themselves for not getting that academy under their belt when they had the ability. Because now they are stuck in a position where body or personal life won't support that academy, and their dreams of moving on someplace better are dying in front of their eyes. A lot can change over the course of your career. If the waiver is your only way in the door, then of course use it to your advantage. But being grandfathered in at one place may not translate into a cert with any other agency. It can be a shortcut that leads straight into a dead end.


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## JD02124

There is talk of BPD putting all 400A officers through a more in depth training 300+ hours to be taught at the BPD academy. If that is actually done im curious what doors that may open or close for people trying to move around to other departments.


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## Joel98

MPTC wants to be a regulatory agency with power and authority over police officers in MA, but the fact is they are simply not that....not even close.

The only thing they do is establish training classes and standards, like the municipal police academies, and can require people to have to pass these in order to work as a cop. Once you’re done with the Academy, there is nothing more the MPTC can require you to do. They can’t require cops to attend in-service every year, because they have no decertifying authority for cops who don’t attend. In fact, I know of several departments that haven’t sent officers to in-service for several years.

The MPTC wants to be more than what they are, but the reality is they have very little power at all, and they are keenly aware of this. They might tell you otherwise if you ask them, but with just any little push-back, their argument falls apart very quickly.


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## mpd61

Joel98 said:


> MPTC wants to be a regulatory agency with power and authority over police officers in MA, but the fact is they are simply not that....not even close.
> *TRUE*
> The MPTC wants to be more than what they are, but the reality is the Mass Chiefs, and Legislature are limiting their influence.


*FIFY*


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## Kilvinsky

It would be terrific if they DID have authority to set standards and included ALL law enforcement agencies. My department, along with plenty of other college/university departments were blessed to be able to access the MBTA academy. Last few classes (unless I got bad info) were not allowed to include campus cops. Why? No clue.

I'm not AGAINST Reserve/intermittent or SSPO academies, they are valuable and realistic, but if you have places which wish to USE THE FULL DAMN ACADEMY, DO NOT SHUT THEM OUT! That, in my opinion is absolute insanity and total bullshit.

What the hell is being gained? Not one damn thing. But then again, in Massachusetts, not one damn thing is HUGE!


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## Joel98

mpd61 said:


> *FIFY*


Agreed 100%.

The way it is now, Chiefs are essentially the 'certifying/decertifying' authorities at their own respective departments, deciding who they want to hire and fire. A centralized 'POST' authority would take a lot of that power away from them. I can certainly understand why the Chiefs would resist something like that.


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