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How do I become a D.C. Law Enforcement Special Police Officer?


Any individual who wishes to become a D.C. Law Enforcement Special Police Officer (DCSPO) must go through the training requirements established by D.C. law, before being commissioned by the Mayor of the District of Columbia. Law Enforcement Special Police Officers (SPOs) must complete the following minimum training to include topics as mentioned in D.C. Municipal Regulations (DCMR) Title 6A, Chapter 11:


(a) Be a United States citizen by either birth or naturalized;


(b) Be at least 21 years of age;


(c) Have at least a minimum of a high school diploma or GED;


(d) Be able to read, write, and speak the English language;


(e) Each applicant for certification shall be required to submit a physician's certificate stating, to the best of the physician's knowledge after examining the applicant, the following:


(1) The applicant is not presently addicted to drugs or alcohol;


(2) The applicant is not suffering from any debilitating mental defect or disorder; and


(3) The applicant is not suffering from serious heart disease, severe epilepsy, or other physical defect which might cause substantial loss of control in situations of severe stress.


(f) Pass a medical drug exam;


(g) SPOs shall be required to satisfactorily complete pre-assignment, on-the-job, and in-service training programs which have been prescribed and approved by the Mayor.


(h) Pre-assignment training shall include at least sixteen (16) hours of training on arrest powers, search and seizure laws, the District of Columbia Official Code, and the use of force. Pre-assignment training shall include an additional twenty-four (24) hours of training generally relating to the special police officer's duties and specifically including:


(1) Terrorism awareness, including building evacuation, unattended packages, and unknown substances;


(2) Emergency procedures, including evacuation and first-aid; and


(3) Customer service and interaction with tourists.


(i) Special police officers who are armed shall satisfactorily complete an additional forty (40) hours of firearms training.


(j) Special police officers who carry a baton, handcuffs, or OC spray shall also complete additional training required by the brand of equipment they are carrying.


(k) Special police officers shall satisfactorily complete a sixteen (16) hour, on-the-job training course within ninety (90) working days following employment, and an 8-hour annual in-service training course;


(l) No polygraph exam is required;



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What does a Law Enforcement Officer do?

A Law Enforcement Officer is mainly responsible for enforcing the law and protecting the public. Law Enforcement Officers detect and prevent crime in particular areas and complete assignments from their supervisors. They might also participate in community safety programs, which are preventative methods to stop crime. A Law Enforcement Officer fills out and files reports after an incident has happened on their watch. Law Enforcement Officers can be employed by municipal or federal government bodies, provinces and tribal nations.

Special police Officer vs Police Officer

The term Special Police Officer, is any person who is commissioned which have been approved pursuant to this act, and who may be authorized to carry a weapon. They are privately commissioned police officers with full arrest powers within an area or premises which the officer has been employed to protect.

What are Special Police Officers?

As a special police officer, you provide safety and security services for an assigned area or company. You may work as an auxiliary police officer for the police force to provide support for full-time officers, or you may work in a fire police or company police unit. Hospitals, university campuses, and museums often rely on special police officers to keep the peace. Your job duties are similar to those of other law enforcement officials. You may direct traffic, make traffic stops, conduct investigations and make arrests. Depending where you work, you may or may not carry a firearm.

1. Security Issue Prevention

2. Observation and Reporting

3. Incident Response

4. Communication

5. Collaboration and Cooperation

What is special police in Washington, DC?

 

 

  • The term Special Police Officer, is any person who is commissioned which have been approved pursuant to this act, and who may be authorized to carry a weapon. They are privately commissioned police officers with full arrest powers within an area or premises which the officer has been employed to protect. The commission is conditional and is required to be renewed each year. C. Code, §4-114 (1981).

  • Special police officer shall have the same powers as a law enforcement officer to Arrest without a warrant for offenses committed within the premises to which his or her jurisdiction extends or outside the premises on a fresh pursuit for offenses committed on the premises. C. Code §23-582A.

  • Special police officers appointed pursuant to § 1100.1 shall be strictly confined in their authority to the particular place or property which they are commissioned to protect.

  • To protect the property of one person or corporation located in various sections of the District of Columbia and in more than one police district, and to protect money, securities, or other property being transported between the locations of the property of that person or corporation, or between those locations and certain banks or other depositories. All locations of property, banks, or other places pursuant to § 1101.2 shall be specified upon the face of the commission issued to those special police officers.

What is the jurisdiction of a D.C. Special Police Officer?

A. Special police officers may be appointed under the provisions of D.C. Official Code §4-114 (1981), to protect the property of a number of persons or corporations in one general area.

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Who can be appointed as a D.C. Special Police Officer?

A. No person shall be appointed as a special police officer under the Act of March 3, 1899 (D.C. Official Code §4-114) (1981) or R.S.D.C. No. 378 and 379, June 11, 1878 (D.C. Official Code § 4-130) (1981) unless he or she meets the following requirements:

  • Have reached the age of twenty-one (21) years old

  • Be a citizen of the United States

  • Be of good moral character

  • Shall be approved for appointment by the Chief of Police, shall possess a high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma, or one year of experience as a special police officer in the District of Columbia, shall be able to read, write, and speak the English language, and shall be certified by a licensed physician as physically and psychologically fit to perform the duties of a special police officer. An applicant who has been dishonorably discharged from the military shall be ineligible to be commissioned as a special police officer.

There are about 7,700 special police officers in the District, and about 4,500 of them are armed, according to Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice. Special police officer shall have the same powers as a law enforcement officer to Arrest without a warrant for offenses committed within the premises to which his or her jurisdiction extends or outside the premises on a fresh pursuit for offenses committed on the premises. D.C. Code §23-582A.

.What are the requirements to take the course?

A. Must be US Citizen, must be 21years of age or older and be able to pass the basic criminal background check.

Do I have to be employed to become a Commissioned D.C. Special Police Officer?

A. Yes, you must be employed by a licensed D.C. security or proprietary company. Applications for appointment under the provisions of D.C. Official Code §4-114 (1981), shall be made jointly in the names of the prospective special police officers and the names of the persons or corporations in connection with whose property of business the appointment is sought.

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