Weaponry:

HUPD issues each of its officers a Glock.40-caliber pistol for use while on-duty. Officers are not allowed to carry other lethal weapons, although they do carry batons and pepper spray. In the event that heavier firepower is needed, HUPD can call on other police agencies, including the Massachusetts State Police, Boston Police and the Cambridge Police Department (CPD).

Although HUPD issues its officers body armor, it does not require officers to wear the armor while on duty.

Vehicles:

HUPD maintains a fleet of around 10 marked Ford Crown Victoria patrol cars and one Chevrolet Blazer, four unmarked cars, one prisoner transport van, two motorcycles and a handful of bicycles.

Training:

HUPD officers are trained at the Municipal Police Officers Class (MPOC), south of Boston, where they take a 20-week course, including classes in everything from criminal law to pursuit driving.

While many municipal police departments do not have the time or money for in-service training, HUPD administrators take great pride in having one of the most up-to-date and best-trained police forces in the area.

In fact, HUPD officers have almost a hundred different areas they can request training in, from mountain bike patrolling to diversity training, from interrogation to Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) instructor training.

"As long as you want to learn, they'll try to get it for you," says Officer Andrew T. Gilbert.