Delaware Police Accreditation Commission (DPAC)
POST & DPAC
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Learn about Accreditations, Re-Accreditations and other POST/DPAC news.
The Delaware Police Accreditation Commission (DPAC) is responsible for providing policy level direction and drafting and implementing state level police accreditation standards for matters related to accreditation.
To that end, DPAC shall:
- Develop a statewide police accreditation program.
- Develop standards for the police accreditation program to ensure consistency of police operations statewide.
- Promote cooperation among state, municipal, university, and Delaware River and Bay Authority police agencies in addressing statewide accreditation needs in Delaware.
- Provide recommendations to the Governor and the Delaware General Assembly, when appropriate, concerning issues related to state level police accreditation standards in Delaware.
The Police Chiefs’ Council adopted over 100 standards related to professional policing and those standards have been approved by the DPAC. The DPAC is active in its mission to advance law enforcement professionalism through the establishment of professional standards and the administration of a formal mechanism by which Delaware agencies can be systematically measured, evaluated, and updated.
House Bill 206 mandates that all police agencies must be accredited by 2028. All police departments are currently proactively working towards state accreditation through the POST/DPAC section of the DSHS.
Police agencies in Delaware range from 1 to 730 sworn officers. Some of the larger agencies are members of The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA®) and receive national accreditation through that agency.
Most of the small agencies do not have the funding required or the personnel resources to participate with CALEA® but still want a process whereby they can achieve accreditation.
As of October 14, 2025, 58% percent of all Delaware Police Agencies are now accredited (11 are Nationally Accredited and 18 are Delaware Accredited (29 agencies)). POST continues to work with the additional agencies. This is inclusive of HB 206’s mandate that all police departments are accredited by 2028.
