The Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee is investigating a cheating scandal involving student officers in police academies in Holyoke and Boylston, according to a letter sent to police chiefs Friday.”Recently, the MPTC uncovered that several officers in the Holyoke and Boylston academies compromised the integrity of testing procedures and materials in violation of our agency’s honor code and academy policies,” wrote Robert Ferullo, the MPTC’s executive director.Four student officers have been disciplined, “including dismissal from the academy,” the letter says.The MPTC suspended testing while it reviews the testing process, and has already created a new course quiz and test questions, increased proctor-to-student ratios in testing rooms, added security measures to test-taking software, and required student officers to review and re-sign the honor code pledge.The MPTC will also retain an independent investigator to “identify the extent of any misconduct and provide policy recommendations,” the letter says.The committee sets the standards for police training and its duties include basic training for police recruits.In May the committee announced the graduation of 45 officers, representing 22 police agencies, from the MPTC Randolph Police Academy’s 17th Recruit Officer Class. Another 49 officers from 24 agencies graduated in April from the MPTC Lynnfield Police Academy’s 2nd Recruit Officer Class.The MPTC operates police academies in Boylston, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lynnfield, Plymouth and Randolph.

The Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee is investigating a cheating scandal involving student officers in police academies in Holyoke and Boylston, according to a letter sent to police chiefs Friday.”Recently, the MPTC uncovered that several officers in the Holyoke and Boylston academies compromised the integrity of testing procedures and materials in violation of our agency’s honor code and academy policies,” wrote Robert Ferullo, the MPTC’s executive director.Four student officers have been disciplined, “including dismissal from the academy,” the letter says.The MPTC suspended testing while it reviews the testing process, and has already created a new course quiz and test questions, increased proctor-to-student ratios in testing rooms, added security measures to test-taking software, and required student officers to review and re-sign the honor code pledge.The MPTC will also retain an independent investigator to “identify the extent of any misconduct and provide policy recommendations,” the letter says.The committee sets the standards for police training and its duties include basic training for police recruits.In May the committee announced the graduation of 45 officers, representing 22 police agencies, from the MPTC Randolph Police Academy’s 17th Recruit Officer Class. Another 49 officers from 24 agencies graduated in April from the MPTC Lynnfield Police Academy’s 2nd Recruit Officer Class.The MPTC operates police academies in Boylston, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lynnfield, Plymouth and Randolph.