Delaware State Police Training Academy/Rename/Colonel James L. Ford, Jr., the official text

SPONSOR: Sen. Lawson & Rep. Carson
                                                                       Sens. Buckson, Hansen, Hocker, Pettyjohn, Richardson,
                                                                       Wilson; Reps. Bush, Cooke, D. Short, Snyder-Hall

                  DELAWARE STATE SENATE
                  153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

                  SENATE BILL NO. 112

    AN ACT TO RENAME THE DELAWARE STATE POLICE TRAINING ACADEMY IN HONOR OF COLONEL
    JAMES L. FORD, JR.

1   WHEREAS, Colonel James L. Ford, Jr. passed away on March 1, 2025, at the age of 93; and

2   WHEREAS, he dedicated 51 years of his life to public service in the State and Delaware and his country; and

3   WHEREAS, his career began with service in the U.S. Navy aboard an ammunitions ship during the Korean War,

4 followed by his return to Delaware, where he joined the Newark Police Department from 1953 to 1956; and

5   WHEREAS, Colonel Ford led a distinguished career with the Delaware State Police, holding various positions

6 including K-9 officer, Director of Training, and ultimately Superintendent before retiring in 1976; and

7   WHEREAS, after retiring from the State Police, he continued his dedication to law enforcement and education as

8 an instructor and Department Chair of Criminal Justice at Delaware Technical and Community College’s Terry Campus,

9 later serving as Assistant to the President for College Relations; and

10  WHEREAS, his contributions to education and public service were recognized in 1987 when he received

11 Delaware Technical and Community College’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, followed by his induction into the

12 University of Delaware’s Wall of Fame in 1997; and

13  WHEREAS, in 2001, Governor Ruth Ann Minner appointed Colonel Ford as Cabinet Secretary of Public Safety

14 and Homeland Security, a role in which he served until 2004; and

15  WHEREAS, as a member of the Association of Delaware State Police, he chaired the Council on Police Training

16 for the State of Delaware for 20 years, helping to shape law enforcement standards and training; and

17  WHEREAS, his leadership extended beyond law enforcement, as he played an active role in numerous criminal

18 justice organizations, including the Delaware State Police Museum, Delaware Chief Police Foundation, Delaware Safety

19 Council, and Delaware Sentencing Accountability Commission, while also serving two terms as Honorary Commander of

20 Dover Air Force Base as part of their community outreach program; and

21  WHEREAS, his academic pursuits reflected a commitment to continued learning, having graduated from the

22 Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville, participated in a Winterim Program in London to study the British

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23 criminal justice system, and completed a national security program with the United States Air War College at Maxwell Air

24 Force Base; and

25  WHEREAS, Colonel Ford’s lifelong dedication to law enforcement, public safety, and education exemplifies an

26 unwavering commitment to the wellbeing and protection of the people of Delaware.

27  NOW, THEREFORE:

28  BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

29  Section 1. The Delaware State Police Training Academy is hereby renamed the “Colonel James L. Ford, Jr. State

30 Police Training Academy.”

31  Section 2. Appropriate signs shall be placed on the training academy grounds to reflect it is the “Colonel James L.

32 Ford, Jr. State Police Training Academy.”

                                                                        SYNOPSIS

              This Act renames the Delaware State Police Training Academy as the "Colonel James L. Ford, Jr. State Police
    Training Academy" in honor of Colonel Ford’s lifelong dedication to public service. It acknowledges his distinguished
    career with the Delaware State Police, where he held various leadership roles, ultimately serving as Superintendent. The
    Act also recognizes his significant contributions to law enforcement training, education, and public safety, as well as his
    service as Cabinet Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.

                                                                                                                            Author: Senator Lawson

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