DELAWARE STATE POLICE TRAINING ACADEMY
Moving forward into 21st Century policing provides all law enforcement professionals with a great many daunting challenges. However, with these new challenges, comes opportunity, a chance for each of us to recommit ourselves to the professional ideals and values we all swore an oath to uphold when we first entered into this ever-changing, yet very exciting career. The training and education of those who are willing to make the sacrifice to become true public servants, and undertake a career of this nature, is a responsibility we at the Delaware State Police Academy take very seriously.
The world of law enforcement and public service, particularly in our society today, can be extremely rewarding, however it also presents itself as one of the most dangerous professions one can choose in the United States today. As many intuitive writers have pointed out over the years "little sacrificed, little gained". The Delaware State Police Academy relives this slogan every day, with the grueling yet fulfilling training we provide to the new police recruits of our fine state. Delaware is truly lucky to have a training facility like the State Police Academy, where police recruits and veteran's alike can all train together under one roof and in one manner, providing the citizens of this state with consistent, professional, high quality police services.
The last calendar year, 2003, proved to be a very exciting year of change at the Academy. Whether it was simunitions, coupled with scenario based training at the State Police pistol range during in-service, implementing the ever rigorous recruit training program for new troopers, or cross-training new bomb detection certified K-9s for our fellow partners in municipal law enforcement agencies from throughout the state, the Training Section was able to answer everyone's call for help in meeting the needs of our law enforcement mission here in Delaware. We all know Delaware, as a state, is certainly undergoing a transformation, including but not limited to unprecedented growth. This growth has caused a tremendous demand for well trained, certified police officers within the First State. With this in mind, the State Police Academy actually trained more municipal police recruits, and more veteran municipal police officers in various in-service type courses, then we did state police troopers and personnel in 2003. This is a true testament to the Academy's reputation and willingness to network, partner, and corroborate with all other available law enforcement in Delaware, whether they be federal, state, local, or even military police officers.
The training initiatives and programs currently being either delivered or developed at the Academy are almost endless. Some of the more interesting efforts being put forth now are:
- redevelopment of the Division's FTO program
- presenting the new Delaware Law Enforcement Leadership Program
- modification of the State Police Firearms Range's physical facilities and equipment
- to insure the operation of a safe work environment
- certification of additional police K-9 units
- installing new "state of the art" audio visual equipment in the academy's classrooms
- administering a new COPT/DEMA/Academy homeland security assessment grant
- rewriting the Delaware Council on Police Training operations manual
- providing a new statewide constables' training program
- purchasing new tracking software for Divisional personnel's training records
- implementing the new Delaware Technical and Community College articulation agreement
From developing new leadership training, to experimenting with new methods of physical fitness training for recruits, the Academy and its staff is committed to identifying either the very best practices, or developing completely new methods and philosophies, for providing the very best police training available anywhere in the state or region! We will continue to work towards assisting all Delaware law enforcement officers and agencies alike, in their quest to meet the demands of the citizens and visitors of Delaware, for high quality police services. We are sure as we move forward into 2004, that we will once again keep our long record of exemplary service, while working towards instilling and maintaining the core values of the Division. Honor, Integrity, Courage, Loyalty, Attitude, Discipline and Service, are all the call of the day for the staff and students at the Delaware State Police Academy. For the Delaware State Police to continue to excel and grow, every state police officer must commit themselves to living up to the high standards the Delaware State Police has historically been known for.
