About Us

The Municipal Police Institute, Inc., is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization, dedicated to providing “Cutting-edge Training,” in Massachusetts and beyond.

With a multitude of training venues across the state, MPI is uniquely positioned to deliver contemporary training programs supporting Massachusetts Accreditation Standards, Massachusetts Police Training Committee, Police Officer Standards and Training Commission recommended training, both in the classroom and online.

Using “Best Practices,” and recognized Subject Matter Experts, MPI draws upon additional training resources found within the IACP – International Chiefs of Police Association, ILEETA – the International Association of Law Enforcement Trainers, and more; keeping you at the forefront of Law Enforcement Training.

MPI’s collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, afforded us the authority to develop and present specialized mandatory training programs, encompassing suicide prevention and self-harm reduction of persons held in custody, as required by M.G.L. Chapter 40 section 36A, B, and C.

In addition, MPI is authorized to develop and present approved Massachusetts State Department of E911, Annual In-Service Training programs for Emergency Dispatchers and Call-takers. These programs are offered online, via our Litmos, state-of-the-art, Learning Management System.

Meet the MPI Team

Chief Larry Barrett (Ret)

Executive Director

Larry has more than 35 years of experience in Law Enforcement in Massachusetts with 24 of those years in executive leadership, serving as Chief of Police. He is a recognized advocate of police training and holds a master’s degree in Criminal Justice. As part of his law enforcement career,  Chief Barrett is a proud graduate of the FBI National Academy’s 212^th Session.

As Executive Director of MPI, Chief Barrett is responsible for the organization’s consistent achievement of it’s mission and goals through the management of the staff and infrastructure and  daily operations of the organization.

Having recently retired in 2022, Larry is past president of the Central Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association and currently serves as their part-time Executive Director. Prior to joining the Municipal Police Institute, Chief Barrett served as an executive board member for the New England Chiefs of Police Association, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, Central Ma Chiefs of Police Association, and the New England Narcotics Officers Association.

Stephen A. Taranto, J.D.

Director of Training

Stephen has been in law enforcement for over 40 years.  He is retired from a large metro-Boston area police department.  He has also worked for a major Federal Law Enforcement agency and a major university.  Stephen is retired from the military after a three-branch combination of active and reserve duty and his final 12 years was spent as a reserve Special Agent for the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division.  He is an active and highly experienced instructor in academic, administrative, investigative, and tactical subjects.  Stephen lectures and instructs nationally on law enforcement and security related subjects and is a graduate-level adjunct professor.  Stephen has designed and collaborated on many training programs and academic curriculums.  He has a LEEDA Trilogy Award and is a graduate of PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Police (Class #82).  Stephen has a Bachelor’s Degree in Police Science and a JD from Massachusetts School of Law.

Ronald G. Raneri

Training Specialist

Ron has been a certified instructor and instructor trainer for over 38 years. Ron is a recently retired officer of a large Metro-Boston area police department. In his 32-year career Ron served in many positions including 19 years as Department Range Master and Special Response Team Leader. In addition, Ron served with the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee as an instructor in several disciplines including Firearms, Law Enforcement Advanced Casualty Care (LEACC), Use of Force, and Instructor Development. He spent 15 years as the Assistant Coordinator of the MPTC Firearms Training Program. Ron has assisted in the development and implementation of several state-wide training programs. He has also providing training for local and federal agencies, recruit academies, civilians, and the military. Ron is an IALEFI Annual (ATC) and Regional Training (RTC) Instructor.

Ron now brings his extensive and varied training experience to MPI as a well-rounded training specialist.

Ron Holds a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement from Western New England University.

Chief Sam Albert (Ret)

Sales & Marketing Specialist

Chief Albert (Ret) has more than 35 years of experience in Law Enforcement in Massachusetts serving 16 of those years as Police Chief. He holds a master’s degree in criminal justice and is a proud graduate of the FBI National Academy’s 226th Session.

Sam is past president of the Central MA Chiefs of Police Association and currently serves on the Executive Board. Prior to joining MPI, he served as an executive board member for the New England Chiefs of Police Assoc, MA Chiefs of Police Assoc, Central MA Chiefs of Police Assoc, and past president of the New England Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association.

Chief Albert serves on many Boards in his community and is a member of the Criminal Justice advisory board at Mount Wachusett Community College.

Dawn Thompson Nanni

Administrative Director

With more than 20 years of experience at MPI, Dawn manages the multi-faceted administrative and financial operations of the Institute. As chief administrator, she is responsible for private contractor relations, publications, training manuals and more. Dawn coordinates, markets, and executes our specialized training seminars and in-person classroom presentations to keep you on the cutting edge of law enforcement training.

Erik Abasciano

Senior Multimedia Producer / LMS Administrator

Erik enjoys being hands-on with the various stages of media productions including field producing, digital cinematography, editing, sound design, and motion graphics. Erik offers a unique bridge from overall aesthetic design to technical development.