Public Meeting Notice  Proposed Amendments to 550 CMR 3.00 and 550 CMR 6.00

Under the provisions of M.G.L. c. 30A, the Municipal Police Training Committee (“MPTC”) will conduct a public hearing for the purposes of gathering comments, ideas, and information concerning proposed amendments to 550 CMR 3.00, which governs training requirements for law enforcement officers, and 550 CMR 6.00, which governs the use of force by Commonwealth law enforcement officers.

Summary of Proposed Amendments:  The MPTC is updating 550 CMR 3.00 following a major overhaul in January 2023 in response to chapter 253 of the Acts of 2020, “An Act Relative to Justice, Equity and Accountability in Law Enforcement in the Commonwealth,” commonly referred to as “police reform.” Police reform impacted MPTC’s mission greatly by drastically expanding its jurisdiction and responsibilities relating to the training of law enforcement officers. This regulation governs basic recruit training, specialized training, in-service training, and the operation of police academies, among other important topics. After two years of operating with the post-police reform regulation, additional changes are required.

The MPTC is also making a few minor revisions to 550 CMR 6.00, the use of force regulation that MPTC shares with the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) commission (555 CMR 6.00). The changes are required so that consistency exists between the two agencies’ regulations.   

Availability of Proposed Amendments:  The amended regulations may be obtained by visiting the MPTC website at: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/municipal-police-training-committee. A written copy of the amended regulations may be obtained by e-mailing a request to John.Melander@mass.gov or by mailing a request to General Counsel James H. O’Brien at the Municipal Police Training Committee, 42 Thomas Patten Drive Randolph, MA 02368.

Hearing Details: The hearing will be held virtually, using the Microsoft Teams platform, on March 7, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  To join, please use the following link:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZGI0ZWUwYTEtODI5Zi00ZWZhLWE4YTItZGRhNWJiNjExYzdj%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%223e861d16-48b7-4a0e-9806-8c04d81b7b2a%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22281c7f88-3318-4602-94e1-655072aca885%22%7d

To join via telephone (audio only), dial 857-327-9245 and use the following conference ID: 856 376 803#. If you are joining by computer, you may need to allow extra time to download Microsoft Teams. While it is not required, you are encouraged to pre-register if you are interested in offering comments at the hearing by sending an email to John.Melander@mass.gov with a subject line stating, “MPTC Public Comment.” Attendees should otherwise dress and conduct themselves as if attending the hearing in person.

Submission of Comments:  Written comments or testimony in advance of the hearing are welcome and may be submitted by e-mail to John.Melander@mass.gov with a subject line stating, “MPTC Public Comment” or by mail to General Counsel James H. O’Brien at the Municipal Police Training Committee, 42 Thomas Patten Drive Randolph, MA 02368. Comments received after March 7, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. may not be accepted. All persons desiring to be heard on this matter should appear at the designated time and event.