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 are issued 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 department as a reserve/non-paid/volunteer special police officer, candidates must first meet the following minimum qualifications:   

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

◾ Graduated from an accredited high school or institution with a High School Diploma or GED;  

◾ 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;  

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

◾ Be of good moral character, as determined by a pre-employment investigation;  

◾ Have reliable means of transportation to and from work;  

◾ Have a minimum of three (3) years of verifiable work experience;

◾ Work experience may be substituted for college credits. Final determination for a wavier of the minimum experience requirement for hiring is case-by-case and at the discretion of MSPD.

Our agency's pre-employment selection process for a Reserve Special Police Officer consists of the following phases: 

◾ Submission of a completed employment application;

◾ Submission of a Notarized Release of Information & Hold Harmless Agreement;

◾ Written Police Officer Entrance Exam (POEE);

◾ Physical Agility Exam (PAE);

◾ Initial interview with applicant;

◾ Background investigation to include: 1) employment history verification, 2) personal character reference review, 3) federal criminal history review, 4) state criminal history review, 5) local criminal history review, 6) social media review, 7) motor vehicle history review, 8) credit history review, 9) military records (if applicable), and 10) medical records;

◾ Psychological screening by a licensed medical examiner;

◾ Pre-employment physical examination and completion of a health history questionnaire by a licensed medical examiner;

◾ Pre-employment drug test by a licensed medical examiner;

◾ Any other requirement determined necessary by the department;

◾ Final interview and offer of employment.   

There are three levels of Reserve Special Police Officers in the MSPD Reserve Corps to include the Reserve Officer Level I (entry level), Reserve Officer Level II (mid-level), and Reserve Officer Level III (advanced level). All recruits go through an intensive training class and begin their service as an entry Level I Reserve Officer and remain at this level until they have successful completed an officer field training course (FTC), become commissioned as a SPO, and become certified as competent by their chain-of-command. 

Once certified as a SPO, a Level I Reserve Officer then becomes a Level II Reserve Officer after one year of volunteering, passing a written examination, and a positive recommendation by their chain-of-command. 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 SPO.  After three years of service or more and upon successful completion of additional training, Level II Reserve Officers become Level III Reserve Officers. Level III Reserve Officers can work alone and drive a department vehicle.