Alum Dan Richard of DG Richard Associates, LLC brought a wealth of expertise as he provided training for our Fitchburg State University Police Department today. Sessions focused on two critical pillars of their work: Leadership Development: Strengthening our team from the inside out, and Procedural Integrity: Ensuring all investigations are conducted with constitutional and procedural soundness. Continuous learning is how our Fitchburg State University Police Department stay sharp and serve our community better.

While students are on break, the Fitchburg State University Police Department uses this time as an opportunity to brush up on their skills with varied training sessions. Here, Sgt. Timothy Grant runs a first aid & CPR refresher for our officers. 

We couldn't let National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day pass without a massive shout-out to Chief Michael Cloutier and the entire  Fitchburg State University Police  team! 

At Fitchburg State University, policing is about more than safety—it’s about community. Whether they’re at a student forum, cheering at an event, or just stopping for a chat in the quad, our officers go above and beyond to keep our campus welcoming and approachable. We’re incredibly lucky to have a team that prioritizes building trust and genuine friendships over everything else.

This morning saw the culmination of the Annual Care & Share Holiday Community Program, spearheaded by the Office of Student Engagement, Fitchburg Community Outreach Center (FCOC) & the Mckay Elementary School. Members of Materials Management, University Police, and  Center for Diversity and Inclusiveness gathered in Hammond Hall to gather gifts donated by faculty and staff for our Care & Share Program. After an escort from University Police, for delivery to the McKay Campus School, gifts for 32 families were sorted. For more than 45 years, the campus community has "adopted" children from the McKay school community to receive unwrapped gifts. This year, 118 Children were "adopted."

Yesterday afternoon, our Center for Diversity and Inclusiveness hosted a Coco with the PoPo - aka Fitchburg State University Police - outside the CDI Office in Hammond. Comfort dog Zara nosed out the cocoa in the most popular contest.

This afternoon the Fitchburg Activities Board (FAB) took over Highland Ave. in front of the Townhouses to celebrate Halloween the FAB way! Fitchburg State University Police therapy dog Zara got in on the action while not to be outdone, our Nursing Simulation Laboratory  went all out for the holiday.

This morning, on this National Coffee with a Cop Day, the Fitchburg State University community had the chance to meet with Chief Michael Cloutier and members  of the Fitchburg State University Police as they hosted Coffee with a Cop in the Falcon Hub. Fitchburg State University Police therapy dog in-training Zara was there as well. The mission of Coffee with a Cop is to break down the barriers between police officers and the citizens they serve.

Late last week, Chief of University Police Michael Cloutier conducted a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) training session for faculty and staff. The course, designed and built on the Avoid, Deny, Defend (ADD) strategy developed by Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) in 2004, provides strategies, guidance, and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event.

This morning President Hodge, Fitchburg State University Police Chief Michael Cloutier, members of the University Police, Military and Veteran Services Director Nolan Buck, university faculty and staff, local dignitaries, and more joined with Fitchburg Fire Department (FFD) at their North Street Headquarters, adjacent to the university, to commemorate lives lost during the attacks on 9/11/2001. The ceremony was held at the 9/11 memorial outside Fire Department headquarters - a piece of a steel beam from the North Tower of the World Trade Center anchors the memorial.

Fitchburg State University Police Chief Michael Cloutier and Sgt. Timothy Grant gave a training session about the intricacies of de-escalating various situations to our  Office of Student Development Student Orientation Leaders, and Housing and Residential Services Resident Assistants  in preparation for our upcoming Orientation Sessions where we welcome our newest Falcons.