By Peter Currier
The Sun, Lowell, Mass.
BILLERICA, Mass. — More than 120 officers in the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office participated in a hands-on training program that allowed them to walk through different law enforcement scenarios and skills in a live, dynamic environment.
The MSO’s Mobile Training Center travels around Middlesex County to provide this live training to officers in various departments, and to start the year off it was parked at the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction in Billerica. There, MSO officers entered the trailer and took part in interactive video scenarios projected on the opposite wall.
The MTC is staffed by two trained MSO officers, who can alter the course of the scenario unfolding on the video based on how the officers participating in the training respond. The scenarios MSO officers focused on this year included training for moving target identification and a disturbance call where the officers could attempt to de-escalate the situation or resolve it with a less lethal tool. The officers can also be faced with situations where the suspect depicted in the interactive videos does not respond well to de-escalation tactics, and the officers are made to respond.
In addition to the different scenarios, the officers also participated in several drills in simulated low-light conditions inside the MTC.
“The Mobile Training Center has proven to be a valuable resource for law enforcement agencies protecting the cities, towns, and campuses around Middlesex County,” Sheriff Peter Koutoujian said in a statement Friday. “But it’s also an essential tool for our own staff. Inside the walls, the ability to effectively communicate with incarcerated individuals in a calm and professional manner is one of the most important skills a corrections officer can have.”
After each scenario is completed by the officers, they are given a debrief with the MTC staff to talk about what they did well, and how they can improve their approach to a potential violent real-life situation.
“Our staff faces complex situations every day, both inside the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction and out in the community through our public-facing functions,” said Special Sheriff Amoroso Cefalo. “This training ensures they can continuously build their skills, and it reflects in the positive outcomes we see in the reduction of incidents involving use-of-force.”
The MTC spent 2025 traveling to 36 area municipalities, with more than 1,500 officers taking part throughout the year, including MSO officers. The MTC training is a supplement to the 40 hours of in-service training MSO officers get every year, which primarily focuses on policy and procedures, mental health, CPR, use of force, de-escalation tactics and emergency response.
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