DELAWARE STATE POLICE TRAINING ACADEMY
Captain Elizabeth E. Shamany - 2006
Captain Ralph H. Davis, III - 2007
In 2006 the Delaware State Police Training Academy was commanded by Captain Elizabeth E. Shamany. Lt. Ronald Hagan served as the Assistant Director of Training. In February 2007 Captain Shamany retired from the Division after 27 years of service. Lt Hagan served as the Acting Director of Training until his promotion to the rank of Captain and subsequent transfer to the Delaware State Police Planning and Research Section. On April 1, 2007, Captain Ralph Davis and Lieutenant Michael Reader joined Lieutenant Michael Berry, who transferred to the Training Academy in March of 2007, as the Training Academy command staff.
In addition to recruit training the Academy command staff oversees mandatory and elective in-service training, the Firearms Training Unit, the K9 Training Unit, and the Domestic Violence Policy and Training Unit. The Academy director also serves as the administrator of the Delaware Council on Police Training and is assisted in this endeavor by an Academy Administrative Assistant. The Training Academy is staffed by three non-sworn DSP employees and thirteen Troopers.
The Delaware State Police Training Academy is recognized as one of the premier law enforcement training sites in the United States. The Training Academy continues in its pursuit to prepare each recruit with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to carry out their law enforcement duties. New training in 2006 was the "Leadership Development Series". This training series affords each recruit the opportunity to receive valuable leadership training from highly skilled state police professionals. Each series focuses on a different topic germane to current trends in law enforcement. Overall, recruits receive over 1,000 hours of classroom instruction, including state and federal laws, firearms, technology, and self-defense. During 2006 and 2007 the academy staff provided training to five recruit classes comprised of 82 state police recruits and 93 municipal recruits.
Academy staff members also conducted basic patrol, explosives, and narcotics training and monthly update canine training for DSP K9 teams and teams from allied police agencies. Members of the Academy's Firearms Training Unit provided basic recruit firearms training to recruits attending the DSP Training Academy as well as mandated recertification training to all incumbent members of the DSP. The Domestic Violence Training and Policy Coordinator continued to provide training related to domestic violence to all Delaware police agencies as well as serve as the division's primary grant monitor.
The academy staff also facilitated 132 elective in-service classes during the time period, which provide law enforcement related training to 2,403 sworn and non-sworn members of the law enforcement community. The academy utilized the specialized services of both in house and guest instructors who graciously donated their time and expertise in the effort to provide the most knowledgeable practitioners in their various fields of expertise.
These courses are offered to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Course curriculum is continually changing and the events of September 11, 2001 created challenges for the public safety sector. The Delaware State Police Training Academy shall endeavor to seek new and unique ways to serve the criminal justice community.
The Delaware State Police Training Academy continues in its
pursuit of excellence to train and prepare today's police recruit
for the many challenges they will face in the 21st century. The
demands and rigors of today's policing necessitate training capable
of meeting the needs of keeping officers abreast of changes
and expected standards of service. The Academy is dedicated to
ensuring all officers within its area of operation will have the best
training available.
