A fresh wave of police officers is officially hitting the streets after 47 recruits graduated from the MPTC Holyoke Police Academy’s 5th Recruit Officer Class, wrapping up more than 20 weeks of intense, standardized law enforcement training.
Municipal Police Training Committee Executive Director Colonel Rick Rathbun (Ret.) and Holyoke Academy Director Michele I. Lyons announced the graduation, sending the newly sworn officers into full-time service with 23 police agencies across Massachusetts.
“Policing today requires officers who are adaptable, compassionate, and embody the principles of professionalism and public service. The MPTC’s curriculum is designed to meet those demands, providing recruits with the tools necessary to navigate the evolving challenges of law enforcement. These graduates have shown a deep commitment to public service, and we are confident these values will lead them to uphold the highest standards of policing,” Rathbun said.
The graduation ceremony took place earlier today at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall, where members of the 5th ROC took their oath and received their badges. The class includes officers now assigned to departments and agencies in Agawam, Amherst, Ashby, Barre, Dalton, Deerfield, Gardner, Hadley, Hampden County Sheriff’s, Holyoke, Leverett, Longmeadow, Maynard, Northampton, Palmer, Pelham, Pittsfield, Smith College, Southwick, Springfield College, University of Massachusetts – Chan Medical School, West Springfield, and Westfield.
The graduates join more than 150 officers who have completed MPTC-operated academies during training year 2025-2026…