PRESS RELEASE
CAMDEN, Del. — After extensive deliberation and strategic planning, the Delaware Association of Chiefs of Police (DACP) announced today a collaborative partnership with All-Star Talent and Guardian Alliance Technologies.
The partnership aims to enhance talent acquisition for police officers across 50 departments statewide through a wide array of initiatives. The initiatives include recruitment analysis, candidate outreach systems, research-driven marketing strategies, promotional video production, digital marketing campaigns, retention analytics, hiring process enhancements, and the development of a standardized police officer application process for Delaware law enforcement, akin to the college admission process for students.
In recent years, police agencies nationwide have faced significant recruitment and retention hurdles. Challenges stem from various factors, including the rigorous nature of the profession, disparities in compensation and work-life balance compared to other fields, and prolonged hiring processes lasting from several months to over a year. Amid economic uncertainties like recession, inflation, and student loan burdens, many potential recruits seek quicker opportunities in the private sector, posing difficulties for law enforcement agencies in attracting top talent.
Chief Patrick Ogden, the current president of the DACP, said, “This first-of-its-kind initiative will bring talent from across the county to Delaware police agencies. Our goal is to recruit the best talent by streamlining antiquated hiring processes, eliminating inefficiencies, enhancing information sharing, and engaging in open dialogue with applicants. Modern recruitment systems will drive candidates to our common application. The hiring process will include a more automated background investigation, providing investigators with more efficient means to do their job. In the next phase of this initiative, we plan to create a statewide written and physical test, so applicants who apply for more than one agency will only have to test once.”
Chief Rick McCabe, the current 1st vice president of the DACP, added, “In summer 2023, the DACP Board met to discuss the state’s recruiting challenges. Many agencies reported critical staffing levels causing patrol shortages and the erosion of special units, alongside a universal struggle to attract qualified candidates. This meeting led to an agreement to address recruitment collaboratively with a statewide initiative. Our goal is to identify barriers preventing qualified candidates from entering policing through a community survey and create a messaging campaign based on the data. We look forward to working with All-Star Talent and Guardian Alliance Technologies to highlight the diverse policing opportunities in Delaware and streamline candidate selection. Those interested in policing can find opportunities in beach or rural towns in Sussex County, small to large municipal policing in Kent County, and county, state, urban, or university policing in New Castle County.”
Activity connected with the partnership is slated to begin on August 1.
About DACP
The Delaware Association of Chiefs of Police (DACP) is a professional police organization headed by commanding officers, committed to providing excellent safety services to the citizens of Delaware. The Association was formed in 1971 to improve police service in Delaware and establish standardization and uniformity in policies and procedures. For more information, visit www.depolicechiefs.org.
About All-Star Talent
All-Star Talent is the premier law enforcement and public sector recruitment firm, dedicated to assisting police, sheriff, corrections, and other public sector departments in attracting, nurturing, recruiting, and hiring both sworn and non-sworn personnel. All-Star’s outcome-driven campaigns deliver proven results to law enforcement and public sector departments of all sizes. For more information, visit www.allstartalent.us.
About Guardian Alliance Technologies
Guardian Alliance Technologies provides cloud-based applicant screening and background investigation software to over 900 agencies in 48 states. The Guardian Platform is a solution designed by law enforcement for law enforcement, offering an easy, efficient way to pre-screen, investigate, and approve applicants. For more information, visit www.guardianalliancetechnologies.com.