Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Chapter 41 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 96B, as appearing in the 1992 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 96B. Every person who receives an appointment to a position on a full-time basis in which he will exercise police powers in the police department of any city or town, shall, prior to exercising police powers, be assigned to and satisfactorily complete a prescribed course of study approved by the department of criminal justice training. The provisions of chapter thirty-one and any collective bargaining agreement notwithstanding, any person so attending such a school shall be deemed to be a student officer and shall be exempted from the provisions of chapter thirty-one and any collective bargaining agreement for that period during which he is assigned to a municipal police training school, provided that such person shall be paid the regular wages provided for the position to which he was appointed and such reasonable expenses as may be determined by the appointing authority and be subject to the provisions of chapter one hundred and fifty-two.

Every police officer on a full-time basis in any such municipal police department, shall be assigned to and shall attend a prescribed course of study approved by the department of criminal justice training for in-service officers training at such intervals and for such periods as said department may determine. Any such police officer who receives an appointment to a position of higher rank shall, in addition, complete such other courses of supervisory training as said department may determine. While attending such school or completing such courses, such persons shall be paid his regular wages as a police officer and shall receive such reasonable expenses as may be determined by the appointing authority.

Each person appointed as a reserve, or intermittent police officer, in a city or town shall, prior to exercising police powers, satisfactorily complete a course of study prescribed by said department.

Upon petition to the department of criminal justice training by the appointing authority, a person appointed to a position on a full-time basis in which he will exercise police powers in the police department of any city or town may be exempted by said department, in whole or in part, from the provisions of this section prior to his exercising police powers. The requirement that training be completed prior to exercising any police powers may be waived by said department.

Failure of an appointed person to comply with the provisions of this section prior to his exercising police powers, shall result in the appointed person's removal by the appointing authority, provided said person has not been exempted therefrom by said department as herein provided. Failure of an appointed person to satisfactorily complete the prescribed course of study may result in his removal by the appointing authority.