Holyoke committee: recruits now sworn in after academy; 13-week field training in place

At a June meeting of the Holyoke City Council Public Safety Committee, councilors heard that the city now swears in police recruits only after they complete the police academy and that a 13-week field training program has been put in place.

Councilor Kevin Jourdain asked whether swearing recruits in before academy graduation could create pension or other long-term liabilities if recruits were injured in academy training. "Does that, by swearing them in and they get injured at the police academy, does that now make them eligible for a disability pension?" he asked.

Kelly, the city's human resources director, told the committee she had asked HR peers in other Western Massachusetts communities for comparisons and that most jurisdictions swear officers in after they graduate. "But the practice has changed, and we do swear in after now," she said, adding the earlier practice had been used so recruits could receive a loan for academy equipment. Kelly said the city has worked with auditors and the treasurer to allow loans without formal swearing-in.

Chief Brian Kean described the field training program and other safeguards. "There is a field training program, I believe it's 13 weeks, so no one goes directly to the street anymore," Kean said, referring to a program built on the San Jose model. Kean also said new recruits will sign a repayment agreement requiring them to reimburse the cost of the academy if they leave within five years.

Councilors and staff cited a January 2023 audit that criticized the city for putting officers on the street immediately after academy graduation. Kean said the department has implemented daily coaching, pairing recruits with the same field-training officer and that the first cohort completed the program successfully. He said tweaks are ongoing as the program develops.

Committee members pressed on staffing and cost exposure. Kelly confirmed that if a recruit were injured while not yet sworn in, the city would handle the claim under workers' compensation rather than a disability pension. Kean said the change reduces the city's exposure: "If a recruit gets injured in the police academy, they're employed by this whole, we put them on workman's comp, we wouldn't put them on 1 11 F. And and that's it. But they which wouldn't trigger a disability pension or any other stuff and leave us exposed."

The committee voted by voice to mark the order requiring a city comparison of practices as complied with, and recorded that recruits will be sworn in after academy completion.

The committee also heard that the department is enforcing a pay-back requirement for academy costs for recruits who leave within five years; Kean said the change is intended to reduce turnover costs for the city.