Mayor Mike Purzycki, Chief Robert J. Tracy Announce Start Of 100th Wilmington Police Academy

From the City of Wilmington:

November 16, 2020

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and Chief of Police Robert J. Tracy today announced the start of the 100th Wilmington Police Academy. Twenty-one recruits who have completed the comprehensive application and selection process will today begin the department’s rigorous training program to prepare them to protect and serve residents and visitors to Delaware’s largest city.

The 21 recruits were selected from among the 141 men and women who applied to join the Wilmington Police Department (WPD), and just over half of the new class is composed of minority recruits – including one black female, six black males, one Hispanic female, and three white females. Of the 21, six currently live in Wilmington while the others will have to move into the City after graduation to comply with Wilmington’s five-year residency requirement for City employees.

The Mayor and Chief congratulated the recruits for completing the initial screening process, which included a written exam, a physical agility test, and interview panels including a Chief’s interview. They wished the group well on their journey through the academy, which is expected to graduate in late spring or early summer. The WPD’s authorized strength is 319 officers. The academy is being held to fill officer vacancies created through retirement and attrition.

“The Wilmington Police Academy is comprised of a rigorous training regimen that prepares our community’s future police officers for the wide range of scenarios they will encounter in service to the public,” said Chief Tracy. “Our 21st-century training program focuses on everything from constitutional law and other legal matters to de-escalation tactics, community engagement, and a range of technological platforms and cutting-edge crime strategies.”

The recruits start each day at 5:30 a.m. with two hours of physical fitness, followed by eight hours of classroom instruction. In addition to studying Delaware criminal and traffic law, patrol functions, and procedural justice, all recruits receive training in weapons, de-escalation, and crisis intervention tactics over the course of nearly six months.

The Mayor and Chief said the recruitment process for this academy class reflected expanded efforts by the City to leverage media exposure and work with the community to attract interested candidates. WPD representatives attended career fairs and other programs at high schools and colleges – including Historically Black Colleges and Universities – and visited community centers to promote the WPD and reach people interested in a law enforcement career. WPD recruitment teams also worked with City Council members, the faith community, and other community-based organizations to promote the application process. These efforts were supplemented by revamped recruiting materials and an updated and expanded recruitment website.

“While we are always working to recruit future police officers, our team has also been working to continue to increase the diversity of the department, and to attract a wide range of candidates with a variety of backgrounds,” said Inspector of Administration Charles Emory. “The WPD is steadily becoming more diverse, and our team is proud that the composition of this latest academy class will continue this trend.”

Chief Tracy recognized the tireless efforts of Inspector Emory, Captain Tashawn Counts, Captain Anthony Bowers, and the members of the WPD Human Resources Division for working throughout the past year to recruit applicants and proceed with the selection process amidst the global health pandemic. The Chief said in-person meetings with recruits were conducted virtually, testing occurred with social distancing measures in place, and the application timeline was extended to ensure adherence to travel restrictions and other public health guidance.

“The recruitment and hiring process for this historic academy class was perhaps like no other,” said Chief Tracy. “I am proud of the resilience of our department’s command staff and the Human Resources Division, as they navigated these uncertain times to ensure our recruitment and hiring processes continued and that we are able to maintain staffing levels that allow for continued and uninterrupted service to the public.”

To learn more about the Wilmington Police Department’s hiring process, and to contact a recruiter about future hiring processes, visit www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/public-safety/wilmington-police-department/join-the-wilmington-police-department.

This press release was produced by the City of Wilmington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.