CEMLEC – Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council is a consortium of police departments in Worcester and Middlesex Counties and the Worcester County Sheriffs Office.  Member agencies operate pursuant to an interagency mutual aid agreement.  An Executive Board consisting of Police Chiefs from member agencies governs the council.

Chief Ronald W. Miller (Ret.) of the Auburn Police Department founded CEMLEC in 1995 when he authorized the formation of a Special Operations Unit consisting of a handful of Auburn Police Officers who received specialized training in high-risk incidents.  That unit began to regionalize by adding officers from the Millbury, Charlton, Webster and Dudley Police Departments.  The CEMLEC SWAT Team has grown to include officers from more than 15 local police departments and the Worcester County Sheriffs Office as well as Doctors and paramedics from Umass hospital and Worcester EMS.

CEMLEC began as a Special Operations Team and has grown over the last 13 years to include an Accident Reconstruction Unit, Traffic/Motorcycle Unit, Civil Disturbance Team and a Cyber Crime Unit.

The CEMLEC SWAT Team responds to various requests for service from member agencies such as high-risk warrant service, armed and unarmed barricaded suspects, hostage rescue, tactical K-9 tracking and humanitarian assistance (the team has assisted several agencies in searching for lost persons).  The SWAT Team consists of five branches; entry team, snipers, K9, medics and crises negotiators.  Team members assigned to the K9 team are trained with and part of the entry team in addition to their specialized training and responsibilities.  Doctors and paramedics assigned to the medic team also train with and are part of the entry unit and are required to conform to all entry team requirements.  CEMLEC SWAT also provides member agencies with active shooter training consisting of both classroom instruction and practical exercises.

Members of the CEMLEC SWAT Team have traveled the country to participate in various types of advanced training.  Several team members completed the Counter drug Special Reaction Team Course sponsored by the United States Army Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. 

SWAT Team members are required to demonstrate a high level of proficiency with several weapons systems as well as maintain a high level of physical fitness.  Team members are on call 24 hours a day and expected to respond to any team activation.  All team members are also training in risk assessment, mission planning and surveillance techniques. 

The CEMLEC SWAT Team trains twice monthly in addition to an annual week long in-service training.