Diversity at MPD

EEO Statement

The District of Columbia Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, matriculation, physical handicap, or political affiliation.

Another reason MPD is a great workplace is because of our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Washington, DC is a rich mosaic of people from varying backgrounds and cultures — and our force reflects the communities we serve.

Like this great city, MPD has a diverse workforce and maintains a diverse leadership structure throughout the organization.

Fulfilling the mission of the Metropolitan Police Department requires a variety of individuals who are not only interested in serving, but who also have unique skills, perspectives and strengths that are critical in policing.

By maintaining a workforce that is diverse and all-inclusive, MPD will continue to provide the District with the best possible response to community issues.

MPD’s sworn force is currently comprised of approximately 23% women - which is nearly twice the national average. In an effort to further the recruitment, retention and promotion of women in policing, MPD submitted a letter of intent to participate in the 30x30 pledge in November 2021. The ultimate goal of this national campaign is to increase the representation of women in police recruit classes to 30% by 2030 and to ensure police policies and culture intentionally support the success of qualified women officers throughout their careers.

Hear from Officer Ottey about the diversity at MPD, compared to other police departments.

Languages

Languages Spoken at MPD

Here at MPD, more than 10% of officers are certified in 37 languages. Approximately 175 countries have foreign missions in Washington DC. As an international city, it is important that our Department is able to serve all residents and visitors of the District of Columbia.

Do you speak another language? MPD offers its officers a $50 stipend per pay period if they are certified in another language.

Our officers currently speak the following second languages:

Albanian	Amharic	Arabic
Armenian	Bengali	Bosnian
Burmese	Cantonese	Czech
Dutch	Farsi	French
German	Haitian Creole	Hebrew
Hindi	Italian	Japanese
Korean	Laotian	Mandarin
Nepali	Pashto	Polish
Portuguese	Punjabi	Romanian
Russian	Serbian	Spanish
Swahili	Tagalog	Turkish
Ukrainian	Urdu	Vietnamese
Yoruba

LGBTQIA+

Members of MPD represent the diverse community we serve. Many MPD officers openly identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community themselves – while many others are supportive allies. MPD is a safe workplace – where members feel comfortable being who they are without fear of being treated differently. MPD works diligently to serve a variety of historically underserved communities, including the LGBTQIA+ community. Best Practices One-Pager

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MPD Special Liaison Branch (SLB)

The Department’s Special Liaison Branch (SLB) is a model for community policing in its work with historically underserved communities. The SLB works closely with the District’s vibrant communities, in particular its African, Asian, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, interfaith, LGBTQ+, and Latino communities. The important work of SLB is carried out by its core members and affiliate officers. The core members are those assigned to the SLB who work on these issues full time. Affiliate officers have volunteered to receive specialized training on diverse communities, their particular issues, and how to best serve them.

The affiliates continue to work in their home district but receive coordinated support, information, and trainings through the Liaison Units. For instance, in addition to receiving a week of specialized training, affiliate members are detailed to SLB for a four week immersion detail. Together, the core members and the affiliates enhance response to these communities throughout the city, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They also reinforce the messages of progressive training, policies, and procedures to officers throughout the Department.

A primary role of the Liaison Units is outreach to the represented communities. Although these communities have historically been underserved by law enforcement, this is not the case in the District. The Branch serves as a bridge to these members of our larger community whose diversity contributes to the vibrancy of our city. The core and affiliate officers respond to crime scenes and incidents to support members of our community. An MPD victim services specialist works with SLB to focus on crime victims in its communities to support and connect them to non-police services. The SLB also works to support the community with incidents which are not necessarily criminal, such as helping to locate missing persons or with death notifications to family members. The Branch hosts and participates in meetings and presentations and provides the community with public safety materials and information that helps promote a better understanding of interacting with MPD members in criminal and casual contact situations.

SLB members continue to provide training to all new recruits, and reminders are provided to all members at roll calls throughout the year.

Religions

Diversity of Religions at MPD & Articles of Faith

Here at MPD, we have members who come from all walks of faith. To better support our members, officers may request religious exemptions (i.e. head covers, clothing, objects, symbols and other items of religious significance). Currently, there are MPD officers who wear a hijab while in uniform.

MPD Chaplain Corps

The MPD has a long-standing Chaplain Corps to offer assistance, empathy and compassion to its members. Our Chaplain Corps currently consists of Priests, Rabbis, and Pastors. We are always looking for individuals from all faiths to join and serve. Interested in learning more about MPD's Chaplain Corps? Visit this page.