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(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA)—Forty-eight new police officers graduated from Delaware County Community College’s Municipal Police Academy (MPA) on Monday, Dec. 15 during a ceremony held at Sun Valley High School in Aston. The graduation class included nine newly hired officers for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), five Upper Darby Police Department officers and 10 Chester County Sheriff’s Office officers.
Among the graduating class were 12 female officers, as well as students from Neumann University. The latter took advantage of a co-op program in which Neumann students can attend the MPA in place of a semester at Neumann. The credits earned through the MPA are applicable to Neumann’s degree program. The guest speaker was Captain Patrick Dougherty, assistant director of training, Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission.
“We are getting more and more women in our classes,” noted William Davis, a retired state police trooper and the director of the DCCC MPA for the past 34 years.
The police cadet award winners were Nicholas Benoit of West Chester, who received both the Academic Award and the Quest for the Best Award; Abigail Tobelmann of Gap, who earned the Quest for the Best and Physical Fitness Awards; Riley Allen of Phoenixville, who won the Delaware County Police Chiefs’ Award; Deven Vongnarath of Downingtown, who received the Firearms Award; and Christopher DiBaptiste of West Chester, who was recognized with the Driving Award.
More than 95 percent of the municipal police officers in Delaware County and more than 75 percent of the police officers in Chester County graduate from the College’s MPA. Cadets are required to complete a rigorous 920-hour curriculum that includes extensive instruction in firearms, physical fitness, self-defense, Homeland Security, scenario training and practical exercises. The Academy is certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission. Training and coursework take place at the College’s Marple Campus.
The DCCC MPA has been serving the community since 1977 and conducts mandatory Act 180 in-service training for current municipal police officers. The next Police Academy class starts in July 2026. Interested individuals should visit dccc.edu/mpa for more information.