Any individual who seeks to become a D.C. Special Police Officer (DC SPO) must go through the training requirements established by D.C. law, before being commissioned by the Mayor of the District of Columbia. Special Police Officers (SPOs) must meet the following regulations and 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.
The tuition cost for our armed D.C. Special Police Officer training academy is $800.00. It consists of two phases and two separate payments ($425.00 for Phase 1 and then $375.00 for Phase 2). Phase 1 is comprised of 40 hours of online training ($425.00). Phase 2 is comprised of 40 hours of in-person firearms training ($375.00) to include live fire at the range. Sponsorship and the range fees is included in your tuition. Range fees includes use of our duty belt, firearm, magazines, 100 rounds of ammunition, 2 shooting targets, eye protection, and ear protection. Students who successfully complete the required training will receive a certificate of completion. The website for our online training academy is: https://mspdta.teachable.com/
The tuition cost for online unarmed D.C. SPO training is $325.00. It consists of one phase of 40 hours of training. Students who successfully complete the required training will receive a certificate of completion. The website for our online training academy is: https://mspdta.teachable.com/
The tuition cost for the yearly in-service renewal for unarmed D.C. SPO training is $100.00, and for armed D.C. SPO training it is $200.00 This class meets the 8 hour certification renewal requirement, as prescribed by the Security Officer's Management Branch (SOMB). In this in-service training, students will review all updated D.C. regulations, laws, and Use of Force policies. In addition, armed SPO students will have to re-qualify with their firearms. Intermediate and less-lethal weapons proficiency will be evaluated, too. Each student will be required to pass the DC Metropolitan Police Department's firearms qualification course of fire to receive a certificate of completion for armed status.
*** The following below extra fees are charged by DC government or other entities that are not included in you course tuition. After you complete your training you are responsible for the following additional fees:
$84.00 fee made payable to DC government for your SPO application;
$35.00 fee made payable to DC Metropolitan Police Department (DC MPD) for your fingerprint/background investigation;
$35.00 fee made payable to a drug test company for your drug test; and
$50.00 made payable to a physician for your health physical exam.
At this time, we do not offer a payment plan for our training. Students are responsible for paying the full cost of training upon registration.
Unarmed D.C. Special Police Officers are required to complete forty (40) hours of training before they can be commissioned. This class is offered online. We do not offer in-person training for this class.
Armed D.C. Special Police Officers are required to complete eighty (80) hours of training before they can be commissioned. This class is offered online for Phase 1 and Phase 2 is offered in-person as a Monday-Friday weekday class for eight (8) hours a day or two back-to-back weekends (Saturday & Sunday) for ten (10) hours a day.
After successful completion of the class, you have ninety (90) calendar days to submit your proof of training to DCSOMB. After the ninety-first (91st) day, your certificate of completion will expire and you will have to take the class again.
Private citizens cannot petition the government of the District of Columbia for a special police officer commission without having a sponsor from a DC government agency, private security agency, university, college, a law enforcement agency, or other employer authorized under Title 6A, Chapter 11. The special police officer licensing program is regulated by the District of Columbia's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Security Officer's Management Branch (SOMB).
If you successfully pass all of your training and the requirements from SOMB, we will sponsor you for your commission.
You are ineligible to be commissioned as a DCSPO for ten (10) years from the date of conviction if you have been convicted of a felony crime, five (5) years from the date of conviction if you have a misdemeanor conviction, and permanently ineligible if you have ever been convicted of a crime of violence. For more information about what is considered a "crime of violence", please contact DCSOMB at 1-202-671-0500.
In addition, you are ineligible if you are not a United States citizen, if you are not at least twenty-one (21) years of age or older, if you fail a drug test, if you fail a physical exam, and if you have a mental disorder reported by a physician. More information about eligibility can be found here at: https://dcra.dc.gov/security
It is the responsibility of the student to take an active role in their learning by recognizing that they are accountable for their academic success. It is not the role of the training instructor to make sure that you take notes in class, nor is it the role of the instructor to make sure you go home and study the training material. Student responsibility is demonstrated when students make choices and take actions which lead them toward their educational goals.
There will be a total of three (3) written exams comprising of multiple choice and true and false questions for the DC Special Police Officer training course. Students will have two (2) attempts to score a minimum of eighty percent (80%) or higher on the written exams. If a student does not pass a written exam after the second attempt, the student will not receive a certificate of completion for that training.
For students that have registered for armed DC Special Police Officer training, there will be a timed range qualification test. The first part of the range qualification test is the loading of the ammunition. Students will have five (5) minutes to load three (3) magazines full of ammunition. If a student does not load all of the ammunition into the three (3) magazines in five (5) minutes, the student will be disqualified. If the student is able to load all of the ammunition within five (5) minutes, then the student progresses to the next part of the range qualification test.
The second part of the range qualification test is the live fire shooting portion. This test is comprised of shooting at various positions (two-handed shooting, strong arm only shooting, weak arm only shooting, barricade shooting, and kneeling) at distances of 25 yards, 15 yards, 10 yards, 7 yards, and 3 yards. A student must successfully shoot and score a minimum of 42/52 hits in the center zone of the target to include 2 head shots to pass.
If a student fails the live fire range qualification portion, the student may purchase extra ammunition and range time that same day. If the student fails after two live fire range qualifications, then the student will not receive a certificate of completion for armed SPO training.
*** All security deposits, course tuition, and fees are non-refundable. If a student does not pass the course, or fails to attend training, it is at the discretion of the instructor to provide alternative training dates. ***