State Trooper

The Delaware State Police is now accepting application for the Fall 2021 Training Academy & Spring 2022 Training Academy.

Please note that you must apply for the Training Academy Class that you wish to attend by selecting the correct Recruitment ID Number within the JobAps system.

21-TROOPR-001: Fall 2021 Training Academy or Spring 2022 Training Academy

21-TROOPR-002: Spring 2022 Training Academy Only

$53,541/year - During Academy Training

$64,805/year - Following successful completion of the Field Training Program

 Applicants must meet the following requirements prior to submitting an application:

• Citizenship - Applicant must be a United States citizen.
• Age - Applicants must reach their 21st birthday prior to completion of the Academy training, and must not be older than 39 on the first day of the Academy.
• Education - Applicants must have a High School Diploma or GED, and one of the following:
  • 60 semester credits from an accredited college or university;
  • 30 semester credits AND two years (cumulative) of active duty military service;
  • 30 semester credits AND two years as a full-time, Delaware Council on Police Training certified, police officer; or
  • 30 semester credits AND two years as an out-of-state Trooper having completed a live-in state training academy.
• Residency – An applicant does not have to reside in Delaware to apply; however if hired, Delaware residency must be obtained prior to the completion of the Academy.
• Driver's License - Applicants must have a current and valid driver's license with at least one year of driving experience. An applicant with a prior driving suspension or revocation must have one year of reinstatement prior to the application date. Any alcohol-related driving arrests and overall driving history will be subject to review.
• Criminal Record and Activity - Any felony conviction is an automatic disqualification. Any criminal activity that would be considered a felony under Delaware law, federal law, or the law of the state in which the activity occurred is a disqualification. Applicants must have all prior criminal arrests expunged before being hired. (Arrest or conviction for all other crimes and offenses are subject to evaluation).
• Drug Usage - Any use of an illegal drug will be subject to review at the time the application is submitted. Any prior use of a hallucinogenic drug, will be an automatic disqualification. All other drug use, including illegally using prescribed drugs, is subject to review.
• Weight* - Weight must be in compliance with the Delaware State Police weight chart or maximum allowed body fat percentage. (See Weight Standards under the Important Documents link at the bottom of the page.)
• Hearing* - Normal hearing.
• Vision* - Visual acuity can be no worse than 20/40 in each eye, uncorrected, and must be corrected to 20/20 with glasses or gas permeable contacts; or no worse than 20/200 in each eye uncorrected and must be corrected to 20/20 with soft contacts lenses only. Normal color vision and normal depth perception are required.
• Weapons - Applicants must not be prohibited from possessing a firearm and must demonstrate an acceptable level of proficiency with Divisional-issued weapons during the recruit training program.
• Medical Marijuana - The Division recognizes federal guidelines/laws in reference to marijuana, therefore Medical Marijuana use is not permitted by applicants.
• Gender - Applicants will test based upon the gender specified on the latest issued government identification at the time of testing.

 NOTE: Items marked with an asterisk (*); Following an offer of employment, the selected applicants will be examined by the Division's heath providers for compliance with the above requirements, and will be given a complete medical examination to determine if the applicant is able to perform essential job functions.

To perform the duties of State Trooper, an applicant must demonstrate good judgment, thoroughness, conscientiousness, common sense, motivation, and enthusiasm for the job. Troopers must be dependable and willing to get involved in order to help deal with the problems of today's society. Troopers must be able to assume responsibility, make decisions often under pressure, work without supervision, follow orders, function in physical danger, act under pressure, communicate well, and combine physical and mental resources.

Duties and Responsibilities - A Delaware State Trooper performs the following duties of patrol, investigation, troop duties, maintenance activities, and special assignments:

• Patrol duties involve directing traffic, assisting lost, stranded or disabled motorists, approaching motorists on routine or non-routine violations, making arrests, processing prisoners, controlling crowds, and supporting other troopers in stressful situations. Other patrol duties involve inspecting and safeguarding property, responding to bank alarms, chasing violators on foot, and checking buildings at night for burglaries. Investigative duties include interviewing complainants and witnesses, interrogating suspects, aiding injured people, handling motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes, responding to complaints involving vicious animals, using deadly force, and executing search and seizure warrants, as well as arrest warrants.
• Troopers are required to perform troop duties such as sending and receiving radio, phone and electronic messages; maintaining troop records, responding to telephone inquires concerning such things as road conditions, locations, and the law; and preparing written memoranda and reports.
• Troopers must maintain a good personal appearance and physical condition. Troopers are tested on a regular basis throughout their career to ensure they maintain sufficient aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, coordination, flexibility, percentage of body fat, and sufficient levels of neurological senses to safety and effectively perform job functions. Other responsibilities include proper care of division equipment, uniforms, and vehicles; and maintaining a clean and orderly troop.
• Assignments are varied and may include testifying in court, securing major disaster areas, participating in community and public relations programs, escorting dignitaries, conducting speeches or lectures, training recruits and or counseling youth. Scheduling includes working weekends, holidays, overtime, and in inclement weather. Assignments may be physically demanding including shift work. Patrol officers normally work a 12-hour rotating shift, working a maximum of 3 consecutive days. Troopers are frequently required to either substantially delay or forego regular meals.

The duties of a trooper may become unpredictably hazardous and require acute use of senses to discern various stimuli of danger. Troopers typically operate alone, and backup assistance is frequently not immediately available. Troopers are often required, without preparation, to run long distances, traverse rough terrain quickly, climb obstacles, remove injured or unconscious people from harm's way, engage in physical confrontations using offensive and defensive tactics to subdue combative individuals, and to effect forceful arrests.

The 21-TROOPR-001 Recruitment Campaign is for the Fall 2021 Training Academy Class.

• Applicants will be required to pass a Physical Fitness Examination, for which the requirements can be found in the Important Documents section below.
• Applicants do NOT need to be Delaware Residents in order to apply, however you will be required to establish Delaware residency prior to graduating from the Training Academy, if hired.

To perform the job of Trooper successfully, an individual must be able to perform essential job duties satisfactorily. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Delaware State Police will provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact Lieutenant Kristin Willard, Assistant Director of Human Resources, at (302) 672-5481 or via email at Kristin.willard@delaware.gov. To request an auxiliary aid or service, please call (302) 739-5458. TDD users should call the Delaware Relay Service number (800) 232-5460 for assistance.

The Delaware State Police Recruiting Unit will be attending several Career and Job Fairs in and around the State of Delaware. Please visit our website at www.becomeatrooper.com and view our calendar for specific dates and locations.

The Delaware State Police Recruiting Unit hosts monthly "How to Succeed: In the Hiring Process" webinars for applicants and prospective applicants. The webinar is not mandatory; however, applicants are encouraged to attend to learn about the Delaware State Police and the various facets of the Hiring Process.

Webinars can be watched from the comfort of your own home and computer, or even on your cell phone. To see when our next webinar is being hosted, and to reserve your spot, CLICK HERE!

Sergeant India Sturgis
(302) 672-5410
India.Sturgis@delaware.gov

 

Corporal/2 C. Adam Jewell
(302) 672-5471
Adam.Jewell@delaware.gov

 

Corporal David A.T. Huynh
(302) 672-5478
david.huynh@delaware.gov

 

Mr. Marty McWilliams
(302) 739-5980
marty.mcwilliams@delaware.gov  

Applicants are encouraged to reach out if there is any question along the way. The Trooper Recruiters can be reached at (302) 739-5980 or via email, which is often the best mode of communication at dsp.recruiting@delaware.gov

PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT US IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION!

The State of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.

• Competitive salary
• Excellent pension plan - (Mandatory retirement at 55, the option to retire at 20 years, further details are available upon request or should be referred to the Pension Office and/or their website)
• 12-hour shifts with option of standby status for court.
• State-share health insurance.
• Division-issued equipment and uniforms, with dry cleaning delivered to the troop.
• Liberal vacation and sick leave.
• College tuition assistance.
• Take-home car with state-of-the-art information technology after 18 months.
• Deferred Compensation/Investment Plan.
• Tax-deferred medical/child care program.
• Blood Bank membership.
• Eligible membership for employee's credit union.

STEP ONE: APPLICATION & REVIEW
Applicants will submit their application via the JobAps.com website, and once submitted the application will be reviewed by the Recruiting Office for initial screening of Minimum Qualifications.

STEP TWO: PASS 2 (CONFIDENTIAL QUESTIONNAIRE) & REVIEW
Applicants will be invited via a notice from the JobAps.com system to complete the Pass 2 (Confidential Questionnaire) portion of the application. You will have twenty-eight (28) days to complete this section of the application which will require a lot of time and attention on the part of the applicant. Once the Pass 2 is submitted, the Recruiting Office will review your responses for a secondary screening of requirements & qualifications.

STEP THREE: APPLICANT TESTING
Upon successfully completing the Pass 2 screening, applicants will be invited to attend Applicant Testing which occurs over a two-day period. Applicants will respond on Day 1 to complete a Physical Fitness Examination and a Written Examination. Applicants successfully completing the Physical Fitness Examination will respond back on Day 2 to complete the Oral Board Examination. More in-depth information will be provided to applicants during this phase of the process.

STEP FOUR: POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION
Based upon the scoring received at Applicant Testing, applicants will be placed in a "Banding", which is essentially a letter grade with A being the best, then B, and so on. Applicants will be contacted by the Recruiting Office to schedule their Polygraph Examination.

STEP FIVE: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
Upon successfully completing the Polygraph Examination and screening, applicants will be assigned a Background Investigator who will conduct an extremely extensive and thorough investigation, using the Pass 2 as a road map. Integrity is of the utmost importance.

STEP SIX: SELECTIONS
Applicants are presented to the Delaware State Police Executive Staff for review and selection. The Colonel and the Executive Staff have the final say as to who will and will not be hired.

STEP SEVEN: MEDICAL BACKGROUND
Applicants who are selected, will be issued a Conditional Offer of Hire and will be subject to Medical Testing (Physical Fitness Examination, Medical Physical, Psychological Examination, Drug Screening, Vision Test, etc.) at the cost of the Division, and additional background screening.

STEP EIGHT: ACADEMY
Applicants successfully completing the Medical Background and Testing will be offered a FINAL offer of hire and will be accepted into the Academy Training Recruit Class.

Candidate Preparation Guide

Height & Weight Chart

Oral Board Preparation Guide

Physical Fitness Requirements

The State of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.