Dozens of State Police trainees have dropped out of the Massachusetts State Police Training Academy just weeks into training. It’s a historic rate when law enforcement is already facing challenges with recruitment.
This is happening at a time when state police staffing levels are already low. According to the academy leaders, trainees normally quit if they’re not prepared or if they’re injured but this time they’re seeing something new.
The NBC10 Investigators were invited inside the academy walls to get a firsthand look at what it takes to become a state trooper and the extremely demanding training involved after we began asking questions about the high attrition rate of this class. We watched as the 89th recruit training troop worked on fitness, drilled down on how to handle their guns and much more.
Department data we obtained showed overall 46% of the men and women who signed up because they wanted to protect and serve have dropped out. Half of the female recruits and 45% of the males resigned.
Full story: Mass. State Police recruits dropping out at record rate. Here’s a look inside the academy
