Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Retirement of Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee Executive Director Robert J. Ferullo, Jr.

RANDOLPH — Today, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced the retirement of Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC) Executive Director Robert J. Ferullo, Jr., who will conclude more than 44 years of service to the Commonwealth. After four decades in law enforcement, including serving seven years as Woburn Chief of Police, Ferullo’s retirement from his role as MPTC Executive Director will take effect on July 29, 2024.

“I want to express my most heartfelt appreciation to Chief Ferullo for his remarkable life of service and his exceptional leadership in law enforcement education and standardized training,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “I also want to thank the Ferullo family for the sacrifices and support that has been required of them during his four decades of public service. For his significant impact on public safety over his long and distinguished career, Massachusetts owes Chief Ferullo a debt of gratitude.”

“I want to thank the Baker-Polito Administration, Governor Healey, Lt. Governor Driscoll, and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security for placing their trust in me and providing the support and resources needed to promote public safety, advance police training, and navigate the complexities of police reform that ensure the highest level of professional policing in Massachusetts.”  said MPTC Executive Director Robert Ferullo, Jr. “I also want to thank MPTC staff for their dedication to delivering world class training to law enforcement professionals, it has been an honor to lead such a talented and dedicated team. I am immensely proud of all this agency has accomplished and the heights we have reached to make this agency what it is today.”

"I want to congratulate Bob on his retirement. The policing profession in the Commonwealth owes him our gratitude and thanks. His determination and commitment to the profession has built the MPTC as a leader in delivering training that is beyond compare. His influence can be seen through our professional facilities, staff, training programs and vision for the future. What was a dream for the MPTC ten years ago is now a reality. His impact will be seen for years to come." said MPTC Chairman, Chief James Hicks, Natick Police Department.

The Healey-Driscoll Administration is finalizing plans to establish a comprehensive search process to identify and review prospective candidates for the MPTC’s next Executive Director.

Jeff Farnsworth, the Senior Law Enforcement Advisor at the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and former Hampden Chief of Police, will serve as Interim MPTC Executive Director as the search process continues. Chief Farnsworth has served in law enforcement for nearly forty years. As interim executive director, he will ensure a smooth transition and the continued advancement of the agency’s goals.

During Executive Director Ferullo’s tenure, the agency made significant advancements in police training, adapting and innovating to meet the needs of the officers and the communities served, including:

• Standardized and enhanced training curriculum to meet the requirements of the certification standards set by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission. The agency engaged a working group of stakeholders, subject matter experts, and staff to update its recruit officer curriculum and ongoing veteran in-service training to reflect the police reform law.
• Increased state, federal, local and community agency partnerships to deliver world class training to include training based on the new policies and regulations mandated by the police reform law, police leadership training conducted by FBI-LEEDA, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Association of School Resource Officers, and other notable police education leaders and national subject matter experts.
• Implemented school safety initiativesand delivered a School Resource Officer (SRO) In-Service Training Program to officers from across the state annually where they gain insight from experts in local and state agencies and community partners. This required training program for SRO’s focuses on school safety, mental health, juvenile law and procedures, POST certification and is instrumental to promoting the safety of children, teachers, and staff within our school communities.
• Enhanced training capacity to deliver the highest level of standardized training for police officers in every corner of the state. The MPTC has opened five state-of-the-art police training facilities in geographically diverse and accessible locations, including, Randolph, Southbridge, Holyoke, Lynnfield, and Milford, along with the newest location in East Falmouth currently under construction. To enhance operational capabilities these new additions to the agency provide dedicated training space including numerous classrooms, conference rooms, training gyms, an indoor pool and a track and a field house to train concurrent recruit academy classes and thousands of veteran officers.
• Advanced the implementation of Statewide ASHER Frameworkto improve integration between police, fire, telecommunications dispatch, and emergency medical services and certify a cohort of qualified instructors to teach the model standard to other first responders and community partners statewide.
• Developed and Delivered Bridge Academy Trainingto over 1,300 Officers who are now certified through POST after completion of the Academy. This academy was designed by the MPTC to provide officers who did not previously attend a full-time police academy with the necessary training to meet the new certification standards set by POST.
• Strengthened the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the agency and in those the agency serves. The agency has convened experts to evaluate and strengthen training programs designed to meet the needs of a diverse and balanced public safety workforce.
• Advanced training efforts and welcomed the next generation of officers, adding over 3,500 graduates from MPTC operated and authorized academies. These graduates complete over 20 weeks of rigorous, standardized training in all aspects of law enforcement and serve as full-time officers representing numerous police agencies across Massachusetts.

About Executive Director Robert J. Ferullo, Jr.

Following thirteen years as a part-time reserve police officer for the Woburn Police Department, Ferullo graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and began his full-time career as a police officer in 1993. As a patrolman, Ferullo continued his educational studies, subsequently graduating with a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and becoming a member of the Massachusetts Bar.

With a promising record as an emerging leader in his department, Ferullo was selected and promoted for various leadership positions and earned the rank of Sergeant, Patrol Division Shift Commander, Lieutenant, and ultimately Chief of Police. Throughout his time rising through the ranks, his tenure was marked by a steadfast dedication to not only maintaining public safety, but also fostering strong positive relationships between the police and the communities served. He was instrumental in promoting community engagement and emphasizing the importance of collaboration and mutual trust between law enforcement and residents. His efforts contributed to the enhancement of community relations and the promotion of social justice within policing.

In addition to his hands-on work in law enforcement and the community, Ferullo is a passionate educator. He dedicated a significant portion of his career teaching as a staff instructor at MPTC academies where he focused on shaping the future of law enforcement. His focus on the power of education and his teachings have left a lasting mark on countless officers who carry forward his legacy. Ferullo’s passion for the future of law enforcement led him to become Interim Academy Director of the MPTC Reading Academy and ultimately appointed as the MPTC Interim Executive Director in 2019.

During his tenure, Ferullo played a critical role serving as a member of the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Commission, Governor's Council to Address Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking, Community Policing and the Community Policing and Behavioral Health Advisory Council and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Education & Training Committee. He focused on critical issues and provided invaluable insights and recommendations to help shape policies and programs aimed at ensuring public safety.

About Interim MPTC Executive Director Jeff W. Farnsworth 

Jeff Farnsworth is a seasoned law enforcement executive and Navy veteran with nearly 40 years of wide-ranging public safety experience and expertise. In January 2021, he was appointed as Senior Law Enforcement Advisor at the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, where he supports policy development and implementation in essential areas while advising on emerging issues in public safety, law enforcement, and emergency response.

During his tenure with EOPSS, Jeff Farnsworth has been integral to advancing the Commonwealth’s emergency preparedness and community resiliency through the coordinated implementation of the Active Shooter / Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program, the adopted statewide framework for hostile incident response and to improve integration between police, fire, telecommunications dispatch, and emergency medical services. In addition, he has supported the advancement of vital projects, including the implementation of an unprecedented effort to standardize data collection and information sharing across Massachusetts’ criminal justice system, known as the Cross Tracking System. He has also assisted with policy development on emerging topics that impact the Massachusetts Parole Board and the Massachusetts Department of Correction.

Prior to joining EOPSS, Farnsworth served for 16 years as Police Chief in Hampden, Massachusetts. Before rising to the role of Chief, he served in various capacities with the Hampden Police Department during his distinguished tenure, including patrol supervisor, narcotics task force investigator, court liaison and school resource officer.

Chief Farnsworth spent eight years on the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association (MACOPA) Executive Board and has remained a member for 18 years. While on the executive board, he served on the legislative committee, the training and education committee, and finance committees. In 2020, Chief Farnsworth was elected MACOPA President. In his role as MACOPA President, Farnsworth has an instrumental role in supporting the Commonwealth’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, where he worked closely with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, monitoring first responder staffing levels to assist municipalities with proper staffing levels during the global crisis. In addition, he served as the local police representative at the Massachusetts Homeland Security Operations Center during a period of civil unrest and nationwide protests in 2020.

In 2020, MACOPA presented Chief Farnsworth with the Police Chief of the Year Award in recognition of his steady and adaptive leadership during this time.

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