The Wilmington University Criminal Justice Institute, in partnership with Delaware Animal Services, created the first state-run Animal Control Officers Academy.

During the 110-hour (or three-week) course, several animal control officers and a Delaware Department of Agriculture investigator earned five certifications, including handcuffing techniques, Law Enforcement Information Sharing Service (LEISS); Armament Systems and Procedures (batons, better known as ASP), and Oleoresin Capsicum (pepper spray), and taser. Trainees were also educated in topics such as animal cruelty, laws of arrest search and seizure, Rabies protocol, and de-escalation technique for special populations.

Instructors included Delaware Animal Services Chief Mark Tobin and a host of highly regarded state and county police. “Working with Wilmington University and the CJI has helped build a foundation for the State of Delaware and the service we provide to its residents,” says Tobin.