Pre-Qualifications:

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

Be a citizen of the United States;

Be of good moral character;

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;

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

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;

Special police officers 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;

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:

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

Emergency procedures, including evacuation and first-aid; and

Customer service and interaction with tourists.

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

Special police officers shall also satisfy all additional initial and re-qualification training standards for firearms and other equipment, as applicable;

Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit a security agency from voluntarily providing training programs and courses which exceed the minimum requirements. Upon satisfactory completion of a required training course, a special police officer shall receive from his or her employer a certificate evidencing satisfactory completion thereof.

 yearly in-service renewal for unarmed D.C. SPO training is $100.00,

for armed D.C. SPO training it is $200.00