About Denver Police Department

Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies’ (CALEA) Gold Standard, Denver Police Department (DPD) is the official police force of Denver. It is also the largest police department in the state of Colorado, with more than 1,500 full-time sworn members and 319 civilian personnel.

Motto: “To Serve and To Protect”

History: DPD was established in 1859, with the motive of curbing violent crimes that were on the rise in the mining areas of Colorado. Originally, known as the “Denver marshals”, Denver police department initially carried out only armed night patrols. However, today the department carries out a wide variety of law enforcement activities, ranging from air patrolling to sophisticated SWAT training. Since its establishment, 6 officers have laid down their lost their lives in the line of duty.

Size: Denver police department is responsible for policing an area of 155 square miles. The city, which has a population of around 620,000, is systematically divided into 6 districts for more efficient patrolling.

Headquarters: 1331 Cherokee St, Denver, CO 80204

Divisions: There are 3 operational divisions in DPD: administrative division, patrol teams, and investigation division. Each of these divisions is directed by a Divisions Chief, who is in turn accountable to the Deputy Chief. The Chief of Police is the head of the entire department.

How to become a deputy: Currently, candidates are required to take the DPD test scheduled by the Denver Civil Service Commission. The Denver police department exam is divided into 4 stages: an initial testing phase that involves an online application and a basic written test; the second stage comprises of a series of tests that assess core competencies of the individuals such as a language skills test, written aptitude test, polygraph examination, an interview with psychologist and a physical agility test. Candidates are expected to have a basic knowledge of the functioning of the department. On passing the tests, candidates have to take an oral interview with a board of officers, to test their communication skills, logical reasoning and problem-solving skills. Candidates must achieve a minimum score of 70 percent.

Average salary: $58,633-$63,480 annually, increases with experience and responsibility.

Police academy: Candidates who pass the Denver police department test are admitted into the academy. The academy focusses on equipping recruits with practical skills to handle situations that they may come across on the streets in real life. They also learn skills like arrest control, sophisticated self-defense tactics, traffic stops, raids of buildings, usage of firearms, and crisis management. However, training is not limited to acquiring physical skills. Recruits must undertake 27 weeks of intensive training on theoretical subjects such as Federal, state and municipal law, ethical communication, report writing skills, grammar and vocabulary, and various other law enforcement procedures and rules. The training academy is located at 2155 N. Akron Way, Denver, CO 80238.

Registration: Further information about the Denver police exam can be found on their website. Since Denver police department focusses on selecting only the best candidates, competition for places is quite high and only a limited number is invited to enlist with the police academy.