State policing commission briefs Wilmington committee on training, accreditation and accountability requirements

Sean Moriarty, executive director of the Delaware Police Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) and the Delaware Police Accreditation Commission (DPAC), briefed the Wilmington Public Safety Committee on June 9 about statewide standards for police hiring, training, accreditation and decertification.

Moriarty said the POST commission was created by House Bill 206 (enacted August 2023) and that the commission sets minimum standards for hiring (background, psychological and medical screens), initial academy curriculum and in‑service training. He told the committee that agencies must meet state accreditation requirements and that the state is aiming for every agency to be accredited by August 2028.

“We set the standards to what those hirings are,” Moriarty said, describing POST’s role in approving curricula, reviewing background checks and maintaining officer certification. He explained that the minimum training threshold has historically been about 584 hours and that, with additions such as active‑shooter instruction, the comparable minimum is about 603 hours; the four state academies generally exceed the floor by hundreds of hours, he said.

Moriarty described the decertification process for officers: departments notify the commission of employment changes within five days; a three‑member panel reviews cases that may rise to a decertification threshold; the full commission then receives the matter. He said decertified officers are placed on the national decertification index so other agencies can review that status when conducting background checks.

On police accountability committees (PACs), Moriarty said HB 206 requires each agency to establish a PAC (individually or jointly) and that committee members must receive 20 hours of training from the police department on departmental functions. He reported 51 agencies exist in the state and that 37 have established PACs so far. He also said 11 Delaware agencies hold national accreditation (CALEA or equivalent), including Wilmington.

Moriarty told the committee the reforms are intended to increase professionalization, accountability and transparency across agencies; council members asked clarifying questions about reciprocity, academy hours and PAC composition. A member of the public asked whether in‑service training includes community engagement; Moriarty said it can, depending on agency choices, and that Wilmington’s police department indicated it prepares and can publish its curriculum.

Moriarty said the commission has four meetings per year and that accreditation and certification reviews will be ongoing as agencies work to meet the 2028 requirements.