The Ludlow Police Department proudly serves and protects the Town of Ludlow, which is a 28.2 sq. mile suburban community with a population of approximately 21,502 located in the northwest corner of Hampden County in Western Massachusetts. Ludlow is considered part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, located just northeast of Springfield and across the Chicopee River. It has a sizable and visible Portuguese and Polish community. In 2019 the police department logged 17,805 requests for service. Of these requests, 1,594 involved investigations/incidents, 675 reportable motor vehicle accidents, and 560 arrests.
During 2019, all eligible Ludlow Police Officers completed 40 hours of mandated in-service training at the Municipal Police Training Committee Western Massachusetts Police Academy. This in-service training has three annual yearly blocks of instruction on Legal Update, Defensive Tactics, and Domestic Violence. Along with this training, all police officers and supervisors completed yearly firearms qualification, CPR/AED, Hazardous Materials, Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts Office of Alcohol Breath-Testing Certification, Massachusetts Office of Emergency Medical Services EMT 102 continuing education, and bi-annual First Responder training. Along with annual training mandates, many police officers attended training classes and courses on such topics as leadership, management, interviewing, emergency management, school resource officer training, and criminal investigations.
In June of 2016, the Department began the process of self-assessment of its Policies, Procedures, Rules, and Regulations in pursuit of initial certification in a program designed to promote and foster Best Practice Initiatives of police departments throughout the Commonwealth. This Community Compact partnership with the Baker-Polito Administration made it possible to pursue full accreditation of the Ludlow Police Department early in the following year.
