RESERVE OFFICER PROGRAM

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Have you ever thought about a career in law enforcement, but you already have a full-time job? The Metro Special Police Department's (MSPD) reserve/non-paid/volunteer officer program allows you to protect and serve your community on a part-time basis, while still keeping your full-time job. 

MSPD Reserve Officers are dedicated, community-oriented individuals who serve alongside full-time officers in our mission to protect and serve the residents and visitors of Washington, DC. Reserve officers perform all the duties and responsibilities of a full-time officer, only in the capacity of a volunteer. They are required to volunteer a minimum of 8 hours per month. Reserve officers wear the same uniform and equipment as their full-time counterparts, respond to calls for service, and perform a broad range of police duties.  

The reserve/non-paid/volunteer special police officer training program offers classes on nights and weekends to accommodate those individuals who work a full-time Monday through Friday schedule, and who reside in either the Commonwealth of Virginia, State of Maryland, or the District of Columbia. No prior experience as a law enforcement officer is necessary. However, you must still meet the special police officer commissioning requirements set forth by the government of the District of Columbia. 

To be considered for employment with our agency as a reserve/non-paid/volunteer special police officer, candidates must first meet the following minimum qualifications set forth by the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) Title 6A, Chapter 11:        

◾ Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age;   

◾ Have graduated from an accredited high school or institution with a High School Diploma, GED, or equivalency;   

◾ Be able to read, write, and speak the English language; ◾ An applicant who has been dishonorably discharged from the military shall be ineligible to be commissioned as a SPO; 

◾ An applicant shall be ineligible to be commissioned as a SPO if that applicant has ever been convicted of, pled guilty or nolo contendere to, or been given probation before judgment for any offense in any jurisdiction that would be a crime of violence, as defined in D.C. Official Code §23-1331(4), if committed in the District of Columbia; 

◾ If an applicant has ever been convicted of, pled guilty or nolo contendere to, or been given probation before judgment for any offense, other than a crime of violence, as defined in D.C. Official Code §23-1331(4), in any jurisdiction that would be a felony if committed in the District of Columbia, the applicant shall be ineligible to be commissioned as a SPO for 10 years following the applicant's release from incarceration and the conclusion of any court-ordered parole, probation, or supervision relating to that offense;  

◾ If an applicant has ever been convicted of, pled guilty or nolo contendere to, or been given probation before judgment for any offense, other than a crime of violence, as defined in D.C. Official Code §23-1331(4), or traffic offense, in any jurisdiction that would be a misdemeanor if committed in the District of Columbia, the applicant shall be ineligible to be commissioned as a SPO for 5 years following the applicant's release from incarceration and the conclusion of any court-ordered parole, probation, or supervision relating to that offense;  

◾ Be free from any physical, emotional, or mental conditions which might adversely affect an individual to perform the duties of a SPO;   

◾ Completion of a 10-panel drug screen by a licensed medical provider with negative drug results; 

◾ Completion of a medical physical exam by a licensed medical provider and rendered "fit for duty"; 

◾ Be a citizen of the United States (there is no exception for this);   

◾ Be of good moral character, as determined by a criminal background investigation; and

◾ Be able to successfully complete the special police officer training requirements.  

Under existing special police regulations, the District of Columbia does not have a residency requirement to live in the District, nor does it require a polygraph exam or credit report as a condition of becoming a Special Police Officer (SPO).

There are five (5) levels of a Reserve Special Police Officer in the MSPD Reserve Corps to include: the Reserve Officer Grade I (cadet-level), Reserve Officer Grade II (entry-level),  Reserve Officer Grade III (mid-level), Reserve Officer Grade IV (junior-level), and Reserve Officer Grade V (senior-level). All recruits go through an intensive training academy and begin their service as an entry Level I Reserve Officer. They will remain at this level until they have successfully completed all academy training and are certified by the District of Columbia as a Special Police Officer (SPO).

Once certified as a SPO, a Level I Reserve Officer then advances to a Level II Reserve Officer. A Level I or II Reserve Officer cannot work alone or drive a department vehicle. They must work with or in close proximity to a full-time non-reserve MSPD officer.  After two years of volunteer service, the reserve officer advances to a Level III Reserve Officer. The Level III Reserve Officer can work alone and may be authorized to drive a department vehicle. After five years of volunteer service, the reserve officer advances to a Level IV Reserve Officer. After seven years of volunteer service, the reserve officer advances to a Level V Reserve Officer.