Constables' Office

Hampden County, Massachusetts

Officer Training Program

The “Constables’ Office” runs an intensive three day, Constables Academy for those candidates interested in becoming Sheriffs, Constables or Officers.

We are NRA Certified Instructors including Basic Firearms Home Safety. This training meets the requirements to apply for your License to Carry training, or LTC training. We offer smaller classes (more individualized attention,) weekly in the Springfield Area, as well as Metro West, the North Shore and North Central Massachusetts. If you call us, we can probably schedule you into a class this week. The BHS class, necessary to apply for your License to Carry (LTC) is suggested to be 4 hours.

CONSTABLE TRAINING: We also offer many programs emphasizing Defensive Tactics (arrest procedures, Weapon Retention and Disarming, Impact tools, anything you do, or don’t, carry we can include certification in, or exclude certification from, with curriculums for everyone. We have twice been certified by both P.P.C.T. tm as well as Smith and Wesson’s National Firearms Training Center tm.

The Constable program runs from 10:00 AM through 8:00 PM on a scheduled basis. The Defensive Tactics Program is also personally scheduled. (hotel recommendations are available) with testing the final day of class. The Constable Program consists of extensive classroom lectures, covering such topics as:

  • Governing Laws
  • Powers and Duties
  • Rules of Court
  • Obtaining Appointment
  • Rules of Process Service
  • Physical Arrests
  • Officer Survival
  • Evictions and Ejectments
  • Obtaining Clients (both Private Sector and Governmental)
  • Seizures/Levies of Real and Personal Property
  • Interview and Interrogation skills
  • Property Exempt from Replevin
  • Who, What, When, Where and How of Constable/Sheriff work (our definition being expanded, decreasing competition from other offices)
  • Interaction with Public Officials and Court Personnel
  • Writs of; Capias, Habeas Corpus, Ne Exeat, Mittimus’ and other various Civil and Criminal writs and warrants

Professional Development and securing or obtaining clientele are also covered. Keeping those client accounts through a thorough and professional work ethic, is our focus.

The Constables’ Academy utilizes the “Socratic Method” of teaching to ensure retention of material covered. All hand outs and training materials, become property of the Officer Candidates, assuming completion of the class and approval from the Instructor.

A TYPICAL TRAINING SESSION

Students need to realize this is a tremendous amount of training, packed into a short three day class. Hence we encourage “pre” and “post” training support. This can be provided personally or via telephone. Students must realize how complex this field is, and expect to get out of class what they invest in it. All such field training will be directly supervised by an experienced Senior Field Training Officer, ensuring not only proper safety procedures for Officer Candidates and their respective Field Training Officers, but also proper execution of their newly acquired training and related duties.

Classes emphasize the basics of the aforementioned areas, such as Theories of Law, applicable M.G.L.A. and Rules of Court and the basics of “field work and interviewing”. The particulars on various “Types of Services” (and the respective “how to” and “do’s and don’ts”), obtaining clients (both private and governmental) and Professional Development, is also covered.

Defensive Tactics training covers such topics as:

  • Survival Learning Theory
  • Tactical Handcuffing
  • Pressure Point Control Tactics
  • Vascular Neck Restraints
  • Weapon Retention and Disarming
  • Control Principles
  • Joint Locks
  • Defensive Counter Measures
  • Impact/Collapsible Baton System

OFFICER CANDIDATES

Those Officer Candidates who successfully graduate our program(s) are invited to continue their experience and training in one of three ways.

  • First, successful Officer Candidates may be invited to join our agency on a part-time or full-time basis.
  • Second, Officer Candidates may be invited to open a franchised branch of the “Constables Office”, fully supported by the main office.
  • Third, Officer Candidates may open their own independent offices complete with lifetime technical support from the Constables Academy (limited to those Officer candidates who continue to demonstrate good judgment and common sense after leaving our program).

Any further participation is voluntary, but it allows a candidate to either work from within the organization, develop a franchise of the “Constables’ Office”, or branch out and open an independent office of their own.

CLASSROOM POLICIES

Dress Code: Casual i.e. Slacks and some type of shirt with collar. T-shirts are not allowed. Sandals are discouraged for the Students. Defensive Tactics training requires loose fitting “work-out” clothing and sneakers are allowed.

Weapons Policy:  The Constables’ Academy would not discourage any properly licensed individual from carrying while in transit, to or from the Academy.  However, due to the lack of training received by Officer Candidates from the Constables’ Academy prior to their graduation, weapons are not permitted during their training.  A firearms vault is available for safekeeping and all weapons will be checked with the Training Officer upon arrival and returned after completion of the field portion of training.

Additionally, smoking breaks will be allowed outside.

QUESTIONS

Questions can be submitted to (413) 592-8100. We look forward to having you!  Get plenty of sleep the night before, you will be learning a lot.