Police Chiefs (left to right) Paul Gallagher, North Andover, James Fitzpatrick, Lawrence, Joe Solomon, Methuen, Alan DiNaro, Haverhill, Kevin Ouellet, Amesbury, and George Moriarty, NECC executive director of workforce development and corporate relations.

Beginning in February, Northern Essex Community College’s Haverhill Campus will be home to the state’s newest Police Recruit Officer Training Academy, which will provide training for recruits who will be joining local police departments.

There are currently academies located in other areas of the state, but not in the upper Merrimack Valley, according to George Moriarty, NECC’s director of workforce development and corporate education.

“Local police chiefs were experiencing enrollment backlogs at the existing academies,” said Moriarty. “And they approached the college about starting an academy in Haverhill.”

Recruits go through an intensive training program that meets daily Monday through Friday for 25 weeks. Training focuses on constitutional law, prevention and intervention, community policing, domestic violence, elder abuse, victims’ rights, and other topics. All training will take place on the Haverhill Campus except for fire arms training and emergency driving techniques which will be held at off-campus locations.

Northern Essex will manage the Academy and an Advisory Board appointed by President Glenn will provide oversight and technical guidance. The Advisory Board will be comprised of chiefs of police from area cities and towns, including Amesbury, Haverhill, Methuen, Lawrence, and North Andover. It is anticipated that two classes of 50 students each will graduate from the Academy each year.

Haverhill Police Chief Alan DeNaro, says the Merrimack Valley has needed a regional police academy for over 25 years. “By partnering with NECC, we will be able to more quickly and efficiently train our new recruits as they embark on their chosen profession. I am confident that this endeavor will become a catalyst for other regional training programs for law enforcement throughout the commonwealth.”

Northern Essex has a long and successful history providing professional education and training for a number of fields, including education, health care, and law enforcement. The college offers an associate degree in criminal justice, in which close to 400 students are enrolled, and a certificate in law enforcement. Graduates of the new Academy will be encouraged to continue their education at the college.

“Educating our police officers has never been more important,” said Moriarty. “We’ve offered criminal justice programs for many years and we’re excited to be expanding our role in educating the next generation of officers.”

For more information about the Police Recruit Training Academy, contact Moriarty at gmoriarty@necc.mass.edu or 978 659-1224.