It's a Great Time for YOU to be MPD. Apply Today!

Community Engagement Academy

Participants of the Community Engagement Academy learn firsthand about police operations, the positive aspects and challenges MPD face during a six week training program! Learn more.

Collegiate Internship Program

The MPD College Internship Program introduces students to aspects of law enforcement that enhance their understanding of the criminal justice system! Learn more.

Volunteer Corps

Volunteer Corps assist the MPD in daily operations serving as knowledgeable 'ambassadors' to the communities they represent, thus strengthening the Department's relationships! Learn more.

Reserve Police Officer (Volunteer)

Reserve Police Officers are dedicated, community-oriented volunteers who serve alongside MPD career officers. This nationally-recognized program offers a truly unique volunteer experience! Learn more.

UDC & MPD Police Officer Training Cohort

Do you want to become a DC police officer, but do not have sixty (60) college credits yet?  Now an option is available for you.  Learn more.

Lateral Law Enforcement Officer Program

Are you ready to join the nation’s finest? Already a sworn police officer? MPD is searching for eligible candidates for our Lateral Law Enforcement Officer! Learn more! Learn more.

Police Officer

Become a part of a dedicated, community-oriented police department that serves and protects Washington, DC. Join the MPD today! Learn more.

Cadet Corps

Attend college and receive a salary as a MPD Cadet! DC residents age 17 – 24 become a MPD Cadet, earn college credits and receive a salary. No college required to apply. Learn more.

Our Opportunities

About MPD

“Washington, DC has the most talented and passionate police department in the country. Every day, the men and women of MPD live up to the department’s motto: We are here to help. Join our team and be part of building a world-class police department that represents and reflects the community it serves.” Mayor Muriel Bowser

One of the 10 largest local police agencies in the United States, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for the District of Columbia. Founded in 1861, MPD has a sworn authorized strength of 4,000 members and approximately 600 civilian employees. MPD has a wide variety of sworn and civilian career paths and seeks to ensure that every resident, in every neighborhood, can feel safe and secure. Getting there will require that police and community work even more closely and more cooperatively than ever before. MPD's mission is to safeguard the District of Columbia and protect its residents and visitors with the highest regard for the sanctity of human life.  We strive at all times to accomplish our mission with a focus on service, integrity and fairness by upholding our City’s motto Justitia Omnibus -- Justice for All.

Explore Career Paths

Entry Level Officer

Benefits

  • Competitive Salary
  • Annual Leave
  • Paid Holidays
  • Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  • Retirement
  • Additional Duty
  • Savings Plans
  • Tuition Reimbursement

Salary

  • Cadet: $34,432 - $41,549
  • Police Officer: $60,199 - $110,478
  • Detective: $75,248 - $126,799
  • Sergeant: $81,758 - $132,056
  • Lieutenant: $98,188 - $148,340
  • Captain: $116,323 - $166,631
  • Command Staff: $120,603 - $219,083
  • Assistant Chief: $166,663 - $243,924
  • Patrol Chief: $166,663 - $243,924

RANK - Patrol Chief

Top MPD patrol official, responsible for running several police districts

BENEFITS

  • Competitive Salary
  • Annual Leave
  • Paid Holidays
  • Federal Family and Medical Leave Act
  • Retirement
  • Savings Plans
  • Tuition Reimbursement

SALARY

$166,663-$243,924

RANK - Assistant Chief

Top MPD officials, responsible for running a large unit or set of organizational units

BENEFITS

  • Competitive Salary
  • Annual Leave
  • Paid Holidays
  • Federal Family and Medical Leave Act
  • Retirement
  • Savings Plans
  • Tuition Reimbursement

SALARY

$166,663-$243,924

RANK - Command Staff

Top MPD officials (Inspectors and Commanders), responsible for running a large unit or set of organizational units

BENEFITS

  • Competitive Salary
  • Annual Leave
  • Paid Holidays
  • Federal Family and Medical Leave Act
  • Retirement
  • Savings Plans
  • Tuition Reimbursement

SALARY

$120,603-$219,083

RANK - Captain

Top MPD civil service rank responsible for running patrol sectors or other management functions throughout the Department.

BENEFITS

  • Competitive Salary
  • Annual Leave
  • Paid Holidays
  • Federal Family and Medical Leave Act
  • Retirement
  • Savings Plans
  • Tuition Reimbursement

SALARY

$116,323 - $166,631

RANK - Lieutenant

MPD middle management rank. Lieutenants assist with the management of Police Service Areas and often serve as mid-level managers throughout the Department.

BENEFITS

  • Competitive Salary
  • Annual Leave
  • Paid Holidays
  • Federal Family and Medical Leave Act
  • Retirement
  • Savings Plans
  • Tuition Reimbursement

SALARY

$98,188 - $148,340

RANK - Sergeant

First line supervisor.  In addition to patrol supervision, sergeants serve in a wide variety of specialized units from investigative functions through administrative functions as front line managers.

BENEFITS

  • Competitive Salary
  • Annual Leave
  • Paid Holidays
  • Federal Family and Medical Leave Act
  • Retirement
  • Savings Plans
  • Tuition Reimbursement

SALARY

$81,758-$132,056

RANK - Detective

Police officer with specialized investigative training. Detectives are assigned to assist each of the seven patrol districts and also assigned to a variety of specialized units such as homicide, sexual assault unit, and financial crimes. 

BENEFITS

  • Competitive Salary
  • Annual Leave
  • Paid Holidays
  • Federal Family and Medical Leave Act
  • Retirement
  • Savings Plans
  • Tuition Reimbursement

SALARY

$75,248-126,799

RANK - Police Officer

Police officers handle a wide variety of duties from standard patrol assignments, to assisting with specialized units such as the Emergency Response Team, to serving as community outreach officers and working with youth. There are endless opportunities as an officer.

BENEFITS

SALARY

$60,199-$110,478

RANK - Cadet

17-24 year-old uniformed civilian employee, working part time for MPD while attending the University of the District of Columbia. The Department funds up to 60 college credits to enable District residents with a high school degree from a District high school or a GED to meet the college education requirement. 

BENEFITS

  • Competitive Salary
  • Annual Leave
  • Paid Holidays
  • Federal Family and Medical Leave Act
  • Retirement
  • Savings Plans
  • Tuition Reimbursement

SALARY

$33,429 - $41,549

Join the Metro Police Department

Join the Metropolitan Police Department Today

History of MPD

August 6, 1861, Congress passed an Act which declared the boundaries of DC to constitute...
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...a police district to be called the “Metropolitan Police District”. The newly elected President, Abraham Lincoln presided over the creation of this new police department. Washington, DC was divided into 10 precincts; each headed by a sergeant with 150 privates divided among the precincts. An officer’s salary was $480 a year and they had to be at least 5 feet 6 inches tall, able to read and write, between the age of 25 and 45, and were required to provide their own guns.

March, 1865 – MPD handled their first Presidential Inauguration...
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...MPD intercepted John Wilkes Booth during his first attempt to assassinate President Lincoln at the inauguration of Lincoln’s second term.

In 1890 women were officially hired as Matrons which handled female prisoners and children...
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...In 1917, the Women’s Bureau of the MPD was created in order to give women a more active role in investigating. The Bureau became nationally recognized for its proactive ideas and methods.

In 1913, the Department purchased the first motorized vehicles (10 motorcycles) to assist the...
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...bicycle squads and by 1914, five “motor patrol” wagons were purchased. In 1915, the first police school was established to train officers in using their firearms and basic first aid.

In 1934 the first Metropolitan Police Boys Club was established The club was designed to...
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...keep young men out of trouble and provide them with positive role models, and the club still exists today as the MPD Boys and Girls Clubs. The club was such a success that other cities quickly followed in the footsteps of the MPD.

In November 1948, the Metropolitan Police Reserve Corps was established and...
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...first deployed on October 31, 1951 with the original responsibility to guard fire alarm boxes to prevent people from mischievously sounding fire alarms on Halloween Night.

In 1951 the Chief, Robert V. Murray established an Internal Investigations...
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...Division during his tenure.

In 1962 Officers began to patrol and monitor traffic in a private helicopter.
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In 1966 the first cadet class graduated. 
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May 1-4, 1971, “May Day” when over 50,000 demonstrators came to Washington to...
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...force the closure of the Government. This was the largest mass arrest in history with a total of 12,000 people arrested. Due to the professionalism and effectiveness of the MPD, there were no serious injuries to police officers or protestors, no use of deadly force, and very few complaints of misconduct.

In 1978, Burtell M. Jefferson became the first African American Chief of Police....
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...He was a very community minded person, having been a native of Washington DC and having attended American University and Howard University. His tenure saw a reduction in crime while also dealing with restrictions due to the energy crisis and threats of personnel cuts.

In 1988, the Department switched from the long issued Smith and Wesson .38 caliber...
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...revolvers to the Glock 9mm pistols after Washington DC was named the Nation’s Murder Capital.

In 1993 the Office of Internal Affairs was created by Chief Fred Thomas to promote...
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...accountability among MPD officers.

In 1997, Chief Soulsby authorized the re-striping of the Scout Cars...
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...They were changed from the blue stripe and gold seal of the 1960s, to a red and blue striping that is still referred to as the Pepsi can design.

In 2004, the re-birth of the Air Support Unit (aka helicopter patrol, Helicopter Branch) was...
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...returned (original disbanded in 1996 due to budget cuts) along with a small cadre of horse-mounted officers.

In 2006, the joint Police and Fire Communications Center moved to a newly built state of...
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...the art communications center located on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Southeast.

In January 2007, Chief Cathy Lanier was appointed by Washington, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty... 
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...in January 2007, replacing outgoing Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey. She was the first woman to achieve the position of Chief of Police in Washington DC.  In May 2012, Mayor Vincent C. Gray agreed to retain Lanier as police chief under his mayoral term.  Chief Lanier lead the Metropolitan Police Department until she retired 2017.  Chief Lanier was a great advocate for women in law enforcement and brought great technological changes to the MPD.  She was well known for her passionate involvement with the community.

In 2007-08, Chief Lanier initiated; patrol districts listserv; "Neighborhood...
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...Safety Zone” the replacement of in-car systems equipped with GPS.

On the morning of Monday, September 16, 2013, Aaron Alexis entered... 
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...Building 197 at the Washington Navy Yard, where he served as an independent contractor, and carried out the most deadly workplace mass shooting in the Nation’s Capital in recent memory.  Over the course of 69 minutes, Alexis terrorized thousands of employees of Naval Sea Systems Command, firing indiscriminately from a shotgun he had legally purchased two days earlier and a handgun he had taken from a security guard after mortally wounding the guard.  He would also get into multiple shooting engagements with responding law enforcement officers, seriously injuring a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer.  In his final confrontation with police, Alexis ambushed and fired upon another MPD officer.  Fortunately, the officer was saved by his protective vest and was able to return fire, killing Alexis and ending his rampage.  When it was over, Alexis had shot and killed twelve people and injured several others.

Chief Peter Newsham was confirmed as the Chief of Police on May 3, 2017. 
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Chief Peter Newsham joined the MPD in 1989 and rose quickly through the ranks, serving in a number of district operational assignments. Chief Charles H. Ramsey promoted him to Commander of the Second District in January 2000. In June 2002, Newsham was promoted to Assistant Chief in charge of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). Chief Newsham was sworn in as the 30th police chief for the MPD on May 3, 2017. Chief Newsham holds a bachelor's degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a law degree at the University of Maryland School of Law. He is a member of the Maryland Bar.

Questions? Comments?

300 Indiana Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001 | P: (202) 645-0445 | F: (202) 645-0444 | [email protected]