PRG-PA-CON-01 · Security and Protective Services · v1.0

Pennsylvania Constable Professional Development Program

MU-PA-CON-101, MU-UOF-101 and MU-PA-CON-102 to 114. Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.

Enrolling now15 required courses · 320.5 hours · Diploma of Professional Development

Who it's for

Pennsylvania elected constables, appointed deputy constables, and individuals studying the responsibilities and limits of the office. It is also suitable for court and agency staff who work alongside constables.

Program director: Walter Lee

What you'll be able to do

Differentiate the role, authority limits and certification, training and insurance requirements of constables and deputy constables from those of police officers, sheriffs and private security.
Apply ethical, impartiality and accountability principles to scenarios involving conflicts of interest, billing, recordkeeping, complaints and misconduct reporting.
Distinguish legal requirements from stricter agency policy, and state the source and limits of one's own authority, role and jurisdiction in a given scenario.
Explain the constitutional framework (Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, Graham v. Connor, Tennessee v. Garner, Barnes v. Felix) and the Pennsylvania justification statutes in 18 Pa.C.S. Ch. 5, and describe how they are read together.
Describe how Title 18 is organized into parts, chapters, subchapters and sections, and locate definitions, offense and grading provisions in the current text of 18 Pa.C.S.
Analyze a fictional fact pattern by identifying each element of an offense, including conduct, attendant circumstances, result and required mental state.
Distinguish the common categories of judicial documents a constable may receive, and identify for each the issuing authority and the governing source of rules.
Apply the service rules in the Rules of Civil Procedure governing proceedings before magisterial district judges, and any court-specific direction, to select a permissible method of service in a fictional scenario.
Differentiate the sources and limits of enforcement authority, labeling each requirement as statute, regulation, court rule, judicial decision, local ordinance, or agency policy.
Apply a structured checklist to a fictional warrant or court document to judge facial validity and decide whether to proceed, hold, or refer.
Identify the elements of a complete, accurate and privacy-conscious custody record, including the legal process that supports the custody.
Distinguish the sources of constable authority and limitation (statute, regulation, court rule, judicial decision, local ordinance and agency policy) and flag questions that require [Pending qualified legal review].
Differentiate statutes, regulations, court rules, judicial decisions, local orders and agency policy when deciding what authority supports an access or enforcement responsibility in a court setting.
Apply court-order and access-control requirements to realistic entry, screening and restricted-area situations while recognizing that additional training never expands a constable's legal powers.
Identify actual, potential, and apparent conflicts of interest in fictional constable scenarios and select appropriate disclosure, recusal, or consultation steps.
Apply impartiality principles to service, transport, and enforcement-adjacent tasks, including nondiscriminatory treatment, accessibility accommodations, and medical welfare considerations.
Differentiate observable indicators of behavioral health crisis from intoxication, medical illness, and intentional noncompliance in written case analyses.
Apply de-escalation principles (time, distance, tone, a single communicator, and contingency planning) to written scenarios and justify each choice.
Identify observable indicators of medical and trauma emergencies during constable field encounters, distinguishing them from intoxication, noncompliance, or disability-related behavior.
Assess scene hazards, bystander risks, and access problems to decide whether to approach, stage, withdraw, or wait for additional resources.
Distinguish statewide statutory, regulatory, and PCCD/CETB requirements from county, municipal, or agency-specific rules that affect constable use-of-force decisions.
Apply the MU-UOF-101 reasonableness framework to constable duty contexts such as warrant service, transport, and civil process, without assuming that training expands legal authority.
Identify broad categories of threat groups addressed in Pennsylvania public safety awareness training and distinguish group-level descriptions from an individual's actual conduct.
Differentiate observable behavior and corroborated information from assumption, rumor, and inference in fictional field reports.
Write a chronological report narrative that separates direct observations, statements attributed to others, and the writer's own actions from conclusions.
Evaluate a draft narrative for subjective language, unsupported conclusions, omissions, and privacy, accessibility, or medical-welfare details that need accurate documentation.
Distinguish statewide sources (statute, regulation, court rule, judicial decision, agency policy/PCCD bulletin) from county or municipal sources and apply the correct requirement tag to each statement.
Construct a research log that records, for each local source, the issuing body, official source, version or effective date, retrieval date, and verification status.
Verify fictional service and custody-related documents against a written checklist, identifying defects, discrepancies, and items that must be routed to the issuing authority or supervisor.
Distinguish sources of constable authority [Statute] and [Court rule] from agency policy and local rules, and identify questions that require [Pending qualified legal review].

Drawn from the learning objectives of the required courses.

Schedule

1. MU-PA-CON-101 Pennsylvania Constable Professional Development (Supplemental)about 8 weeks · 42.5 h cumulative
2. MU-UOF-101 Use of Force, De-escalation, and Accountabilityabout 8 weeks · 85.5 h cumulative
3. MU-PA-CON-102 Pennsylvania Criminal Law and Title 18about 4 weeks · 104.0 h cumulative
4. MU-PA-CON-103 Civil Process, Judicial Documents, and Court Proceduresabout 3 weeks · 122.0 h cumulative
5. MU-PA-CON-104 Warrants, Arrest Authority, and Constitutional Limitsabout 4 weeks · 140.5 h cumulative
6. MU-PA-CON-105 Custody, Prisoner Transportation, and Welfareabout 3 weeks · 158.5 h cumulative
7. MU-PA-CON-106 Court Security and Emergency Coordinationabout 3 weeks · 176.5 h cumulative
8. MU-PA-CON-107 Conduct, Ethics, and Financial Accountabilityabout 3 weeks · 194.5 h cumulative
9. MU-PA-CON-108 Crisis Intervention, Disability Awareness, and De-escalationabout 3 weeks · 212.0 h cumulative
10. MU-PA-CON-109 Emergency Care Strategies for Constablesabout 3 weeks · 229.5 h cumulative
11. MU-PA-CON-110 Judgmental Use of Force: Pennsylvania Applicationsabout 4 weeks · 248.5 h cumulative
12. MU-PA-CON-111 Strategic Threat Groups: Recognition, Bias Prevention, and Reportingabout 3 weeks · 266.5 h cumulative
13. MU-PA-CON-112 Reports, Evidence, Testimony, and Recordsabout 3 weeks · 284.5 h cumulative
14. MU-PA-CON-113 County Court Rules and Municipal Ordinance Supplementabout 3 weeks · 302.5 h cumulative
15. MU-PA-CON-114 Integrated Capstone and Practical Competency Reviewabout 3 weeks · 320.5 h cumulative

Estimated pace at about 6 study hours per week. Instructor-led cohorts set their own dates.

Upcoming cohorts

No cohorts are scheduled yet. Contact training@matcomops.org to ask about the next start date.

Curriculum

Step 1 · MU-PA-CON-101Pennsylvania Constable Professional Development (Supplemental)
42.5 h · 12 modules
This supplemental course helps Pennsylvania constables, deputy constables and individuals studying the office build sound judgment, accurate documentation and professional communication. Twelve modules cover the role and limits of the office, ethics, legal foundations and civil rights, civil process and service documentation, warrants and judicial assignments, courtroom duties, custody and humane treatment, de-escalation, crisis response, use-of-force legal awareness, reports and testimony, and an integrated capstone review. Emphasis falls on verifying authority, knowing when to stop and seek clarification, and creating truthful records. This is Matcom University supplemental professional development only. It is not PCCD/CETB-approved, not Act 49 basic or continuing-education training, carries no official CE credit, includes no firearms qualification, and confers no appointment or authority to perform judicial duties. Pennsylvania certification requires the CETB 80-hour basic training, the annual 20-hour continuing education, required insurance and CETB certification (44 Pa.C.S. Ch. 71; PCCD CETB). Local court, agency and legal guidance always governs.
Matcom University supplemental professional development only. Not PCCD/CETB-approved, not Act 49 basic or continuing-education training, no official CE credit, no firearms qualification, and no appointment or authority to perform judicial duties. Pennsylvania certification requires the CETB 80-hour basic training, the annual 20-hour continuing education, required insurance and CETB certification (44 Pa.C.S. Ch. 71; PCCD CETB).
Step 2 · MU-UOF-101Use of Force, De-escalation, and Accountability
43 h · 12 modules
Use of Force, De-escalation, and Accountability (MU-UOF-101) develops the judgment, legal awareness, prevention skills, documentation habits and accountability that public safety personnel, constables, supervisors and security professionals need when force may be considered. Students study the constitutional reasoning in Graham v. Connor, Tennessee v. Garner and Barnes v. Felix. They read Pennsylvania justification statutes alongside those decisions and practice threat assessment, communication, de-escalation, and the limits of necessity and proportionality. The course also covers crisis and disability considerations, restraint and custody safety awareness, intervention and misconduct reporting, after-force responsibilities, report writing, and supervisory review. Fictional scenarios build toward a capstone with a written justification and incident report. The course teaches judgment, not physical technique. Completion does not grant arrest powers, expand legal authority, authorize weapon possession, or qualify anyone in weapons or physical skills; those require separate supervised training and agency authorization. The Pennsylvania legal supplement applies to constables. Other jurisdictions require a reviewed jurisdiction-specific supplement before this course may be represented as meeting their legal training requirements.
This course teaches judgment, legal awareness, prevention, documentation and accountability. Completion does not grant arrest powers, expand legal authority, authorize weapon possession, or qualify a student in weapons or physical skills. The Pennsylvania legal supplement applies to constables; other jurisdictions require a reviewed jurisdiction-specific supplement before this course may be represented as meeting their legal training requirements.
Step 3 · MU-PA-CON-102Pennsylvania Criminal Law and Title 18
18.5 h · 4 modules
This supplemental course strengthens Pennsylvania constables' working knowledge of the Crimes Code (Title 18, Pa.C.S.). Learners examine how Title 18 is organized, how to break an offense into its elements, and how culpability and grading affect classification. They then study offenses constables commonly encounter, the Chapter 5 justification provisions, and the limits of authority that apply to constables, including constitutional constraints on force and entry. Final-module application exercises use fictional scenarios and written reasoning prompts, and learners practice tracking current legal developments through verified sources and qualified legal review. Privacy, accessibility, medical welfare and accountability considerations run throughout. The course supplements the 2026 PCCD Title 18 Refresher (online subject). It is Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification, and additional training never expands a constable's legal powers. Local agency policy, court orders and legal counsel govern.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 4 · MU-PA-CON-103Civil Process, Judicial Documents, and Court Procedures
18 h · 4 modules
This supplemental professional development course helps Pennsylvania constables and security and protective services professionals handle civil process, judicial documents, and court-related assignments with accuracy and restraint. Learners study how service rules and document types differ, how to verify a judicial document before acting on it, how to prepare a complete return of service or unsuccessful-attempt record, and how to manage assignments from receipt through return to the court. The course emphasizes privacy of parties and third parties, accessibility obligations, welfare concerns that call for emergency response rather than improvisation, and personal accountability for written records. Learners apply the material to advanced fictional scenarios and defend their decisions in written reasoning prompts. Requirements are tagged by source, and unresolved questions are flagged for qualified legal review. Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification. Additional training never expands a constable's legal powers.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 5 · MU-PA-CON-104Warrants, Arrest Authority, and Constitutional Limits
18.5 h · 4 modules
Warrants, Arrest Authority, and Constitutional Limits is a supplemental professional development course for Pennsylvania constables and related security and protective services personnel. Learners practice verifying that a warrant or court document is facially valid, that the person encountered matches the named subject, that entry and search steps stay within constitutional limits, and that civil rights, privacy, accessibility, and accountability duties are met. Four modules use fictional case files, advanced application scenarios, and written reasoning prompts to build disciplined decision habits: pause, verify, document, and refer unresolved questions to the issuing authority, supervising agency, or qualified legal counsel. Requirements are tagged by source type, and jurisdiction-specific rules are never presented as statewide. This course is Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification, and additional training never expands a constable's legal powers.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 6 · MU-PA-CON-105Custody, Prisoner Transportation, and Welfare
18 h · 4 modules
Custody, Prisoner Transportation, and Welfare is a supplemental professional development course for Pennsylvania constables and security and protective services personnel who handle persons in custody. Learners examine custody records, sources and limits of legal authority, humane treatment, privacy, accessibility, welfare monitoring, transfers of custody, and transport emergencies. Using fictional people, documents and scenarios, learners practice written reasoning, identify where local court, agency or medical-direction policy governs, and complete a supervised practical evaluation of custody, search and transport procedures verified by an instructor. The course is non-medical: it teaches recognition, escalation and documentation, not clinical care. Requirement statements are tagged by source type, and unresolved legal questions are flagged for qualified legal review. Additional training never expands a constable's legal powers. Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required basic and annual training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification. Firearms training and qualification are separate.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 7 · MU-PA-CON-106Court Security and Emergency Coordination
18 h · 4 modules
Court Security and Emergency Coordination is a supplemental professional development course for Pennsylvania constables and related security professionals who work in or around court settings. Learners examine how court orders, access limits and courthouse procedures shape what they may and may not do. They practice separating [Statute], [Regulation], [Court rule], [Judicial decision], [Local ordinance — jurisdiction-specific] and [Agency policy/PCCD bulletin] requirements from [Recommended practice]. The course builds professional communication skills for tense, accessible and privacy-conscious interactions. It reviews emergency planning and courtroom incident response, including medical welfare and accountability duties, and develops coordination habits with sheriffs, police and court staff. Advanced scenarios and written reasoning prompts require learners to justify decisions using verified sources. Additional training never expands a constable's legal powers. Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 8 · MU-PA-CON-107Conduct, Ethics, and Financial Accountability
18 h · 4 modules
This supplemental course extends the 2026 PCCD Professional Conduct and Ethics online subject for Pennsylvania constables and related security and protective services practitioners. Across four modules, learners examine conflicts of interest and impartiality; fees, accurate billing and records; prohibited conduct and independent contractor status; and complaints, investigations and fraud prevention. Each lesson pairs verified Pennsylvania sources with fictional scenarios, written reasoning prompts, and attention to privacy, accessibility, medical welfare and accountability. Learners practice separating statute, regulation, court rule, judicial decision, local ordinance, agency policy and recommended practice, and they flag unresolved legal questions as [Pending qualified legal review] rather than guessing. Additional training never expands a constable's legal powers. Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 9 · MU-PA-CON-108Crisis Intervention, Disability Awareness, and De-escalation
17.5 h · 4 modules
This Matcom University supplemental course helps Pennsylvania constables and other security and protective services professionals recognize behavioral health crises, communicate effectively with people who have disabilities, respond to medical emergencies that arise during encounters, and make defensible, well-documented decisions under pressure. Learners study de-escalation principles, Americans with Disabilities Act Title II concepts, communication access strategies, privacy and accessibility safeguards, medical welfare duties, and the constitutional and statutory frameworks that shape use-of-force review. Instruction is scenario-driven and built around written reasoning prompts rather than physical skills practice. Advanced application scenarios ask learners to weigh authority limits, safety, accommodation, and accountability together. This course is Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required basic or annual training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification, and additional training never expands a constable's legal powers. Where local agency policy, medical direction, or legal advice governs, learners are directed to those authorities.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 10 · MU-PA-CON-109Emergency Care Strategies for Constables
17.5 h · 4 modules
Emergency Care Strategies for Constables (MU-PA-CON-109) is a supplemental professional development course for Pennsylvania constables and deputy constables who encounter medical emergencies while serving process, executing warrants, transporting individuals, or providing court-related security. Across four modules, learners practice recognizing emergencies, assessing scene safety, activating EMS with clear communication, applying care that stays within their training, agency policy, and medical direction (including bleeding control awareness), and monitoring, handing off, and documenting. Scenarios address accessibility, privacy, the medical welfare of people in custody, and accountability. A hands-on skills check by a qualified instructor is required. It does not issue CPR/AED or Stop the Bleed credentials, which require an authorized provider's own assessment. This course supplements the 2026 PCCD in-person Emergency Care Strategies subject and does not replace it. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification. Additional training never expands a constable's legal powers.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 11 · MU-PA-CON-110Judgmental Use of Force: Pennsylvania Applications
19 h · 4 modules
Judgmental Use of Force: Pennsylvania Applications is a supplemental professional development course for Pennsylvania constables and related security and protective services personnel. It supplements the 2026 PCCD in-person Judgmental Use of Force subject and does not replace it. The course builds on MU-UOF-101 without repeating it and focuses on application. Learners see how constable duty contexts shape decision points. They read federal case law and 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 5 through fictional vignettes. They test their judgment in branching scenarios and write accountable decision rationales for instructor review. Throughout, they consider privacy, disability access, medical welfare, and the difference between statewide requirements and county, municipal, or agency rules. Additional training never expands a constable's legal powers. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification. The course contains no firearms or hands-on skills instruction and is not legal advice.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 12 · MU-PA-CON-111Strategic Threat Groups: Recognition, Bias Prevention, and Reporting
18 h · 4 modules
This supplemental course extends the 2026 PCCD Threat Group Awareness online subject for Pennsylvania constables and related security and protective services practitioners. Learners examine broad categories of threat groups, separate observable behavior and corroborated information from assumptions, guard against profiling while protecting constitutional and statutory rights, and document concerns through appropriate reporting channels. Four modules use fictional scenarios, written reasoning prompts, and advanced application cases that address privacy, accessibility, the welfare of subjects and bystanders, supervisory accountability, and records integrity. The course does not teach tactics, does not expand any constable's legal authority, and does not present county or municipal rules as statewide. Where the law or agency policy is unsettled, items are flagged [Pending qualified legal review]. Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 13 · MU-PA-CON-112Reports, Evidence, Testimony, and Records
18 h · 4 modules
Reports, Evidence, Testimony, and Records is a supplemental professional development course within the Matcom University Pennsylvania Constable Professional Development Program. It builds disciplined documentation habits: writing objective, fact-based narratives; protecting the integrity and chain of custody of property and evidence; handling confidential and sensitive information; and testifying truthfully while correcting errors promptly. Learners work through fictional scenarios, apply privacy, accessibility, medical-welfare and accountability considerations, and practice written reasoning about what to record, who may receive it, how long it is kept, and how to respond when a record is wrong. Requirements are tagged by source type, and questions that depend on local policy, court direction or legal interpretation are flagged for qualified legal review. This course does not replace PCCD/CETB-required basic or annual training, does not confer Pennsylvania constable certification, does not establish firearms qualification, and does not expand any constable's legal powers.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 14 · MU-PA-CON-113County Court Rules and Municipal Ordinance Supplement
18 h · 4 modules
County Court Rules and Municipal Ordinance Supplement is a Matcom University supplemental professional development course for Pennsylvania constable professionals and security and protective services learners. It teaches a disciplined method for locating, reading, verifying, and labeling county court rules and municipal ordinances, and for keeping those local sources separate from statewide statutes, regulations, court rules, and judicial decisions. Learners practice identifying the issuing body, effective date, and official source of each local document, testing it against state authority and preemption questions, and recording unresolved issues as [Pending qualified legal review]. The course also addresses privacy of served persons and case information, accessibility obligations, medical welfare escalation to qualified responders, and personal and agency accountability. Learners finish by outlining a labeled supplement template for a jurisdiction that is selected and reviewed later; no county supplement is published until that review occurs. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification, and additional training never expands legal powers.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.
Step 15 · MU-PA-CON-114Integrated Capstone and Practical Competency Review
18 h · 4 modules
This capstone integrates the supplemental skills practiced across the Matcom Pennsylvania Constable Professional Development Program into one instructor-evaluated practical: verifying fictional documents, choosing lawful and respectful communication, checking subject welfare, handling custody-related decisions, and producing an accurate report. Learners work through advanced scenarios that include conflicting paperwork, accessibility needs, possible medical distress, privacy limits, and uncertain legal questions, and they defend each decision in written reasoning. All people and documents are fictional. Legal authority comes only from sources such as [Statute] 44 Pa.C.S. Chapter 71 and applicable [Court rule] provisions; additional training never expands a constable's legal powers, and unresolved questions are marked [Pending qualified legal review]. Local agency policy and medical direction govern where they apply. This course is Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required basic and annual training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification, which is handled through separate PCCD/CETB firearms training and annual qualification where applicable.
Matcom University supplemental professional development. Completion does not replace PCCD/CETB-required training, confer Pennsylvania constable certification, or establish firearms qualification.

To graduate you must pass every required course (orientation, lessons, knowledge checks, assignments, practical sign-offs, practice exam, and a final exam at 80% or higher), meet the elective rule, and complete the capstone.

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