Superintendent Colonel Melissa Zebley
Major Peter “Pete” Sawyer has been a member of the Delaware State Police since November of 1996. Prior to his employment with the Delaware State Police, he was a patrol officer with the Rehoboth Beach Police Department for three years. He was promoted to the rank of Major on June 3, 2021 and is currently assigned as the Special Operations Officer. The duties associated with this position includes oversight of all Delaware State Police full-time Special Operations Units, to include the Intelligence and Homeland Security Section, the Delaware Information and Analysis Center (DIAC), the Aviation Section, the Maritime Unit, the Homicide Unit, Crime Lab, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Delaware Gaming Enforcement Unit, and the Executive Protection Unit.
The Special Operations officer also has oversight of all Delaware State Police part-time special units statewide to include the Conflict Management Team, Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit, Scuba Unit, Special Operations Response Team (SORT), Tactical Control Unit, Canine Unit, and Mounted Unit.
Prior to his promotion, Major Sawyer was assigned as the Homicide Unit Commander, Troop 2 Criminal Investigations Unit Commander, and Director of the Intelligence and Homeland Security Section. There, he was responsible for the daily operation of the Delaware Information and Analysis Center, which is the State designated fusion center for Delaware. In addition, he had oversight for other operational units within the Delaware State Police. These included the Maritime Unit, the Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit, the High Technology Crimes Unit, the Electronic Surveillance Unit, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. Major Sawyer also served as the Troop 6 Deputy Troop Commander, Governors Task Force (GTF) supervisor, shift commander/patrol sergeant, property crimes detective, and patrol trooper.
Major Sawyer is a graduate of University of Delaware with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice earned in 1992 and a 2016 graduate of the 253rd Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) National Academy.
Pete also serves on the Delaware Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Executive Committee as the Assistant Director.
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