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DC Special Police Officers, Washington DC Training Standards for Special Police Officers

After two deaths in the custody of special police officers last year, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier are proposing changes to require enhanced and increased training.
“We believe [those officers] were up to date on the requirements and we believe that they need to be updated,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference this afternoon. There are more than 17,000 licensed special police officers and security officers employed by more than 120 companies in the District of Columbia. Of those, 7,700 are special police officers who are currently awarded arrest powers after 40 hours of training; the remainder are security officers who have the power to detain suspects but not make arrests.

The administration and MPD are now proposing doubling the required initial training for special police officers to 80 hours and tripling the yearly recertification training from eight to 24 hours. Nearly 60 percent of special police officers are also licensed to carry firearms, and their yearly firearms training would be doubled from eight hours to 16 under the proposal. The new regulations will be submitted to the Council, likely after the summer recess ends.

“They are saving lives and preventing crimes and doing really good security work; they are very, very necessary” in supplementing the police force, Lanier said last year after the second death in special police custody last fall.

“Our special police officers are often the first line of defense in an emergency. With our growing and changing community, it is critical that they have the knowledge and training to handle real-world scenarios,” Bowser said in a release.

The D.C. city council must vote on the proposed regulations.

Security Union DC, Law Enforcement Officers Security Unions, Washington DC SPO Union, Security Guard Union Washington DC

Steve Maritas Organizing Director for the Law Enforcement Officers Security Unions (LEOSU-DC) welcomed the idea of the new proposed training standards by Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier. Maritas stated ” being a special police officer in Washington DC and throughout the Capital Region has many risks. These DC Special Police Officers face unknown terrorist attacks on any giving day both domestic and abroad” look what happened to Stephen T. Johns who worked at the Holocaust who was gunned down senselessly, I personally knew Big John, I want to his funeral,  he was our shop steward for the union at the time [ Gunman opens fires in Holocaust Memorial Museum] our LEOSU-DC union members as well as the 17,000 special police officers in Washington DC are on the front line each and everyday protecting our Homeland Security, any new proposal or legislation enhancing the training standards for Washington DC Special Police Officers or security officers is a step in the right direction” noted Maritas

DC proposes new training, eligibility standards for private security guards

Washington Post – ‎4 hours ago‎
D.C. officials are proposing toughening the hiring standards and training requirements for private security guards who are sanctioned to carry weapons and who have limited arrest powers. An announcement with additional details is scheduled for Thursday …

DC Officials Propose Enhanced Requirements For Special Police Officers

DCist.com – ‎10 minutes ago‎
There are more than 17,000 licensed special police officers and security officers employed by more than 120 companies in the District of Columbia. Of those, 7,700 are special police officers who are currently awarded arrest powers after 40 hours of …
Security DC, Law Enforcement Officers Security Union, LEOSU, LEOS UNION, Security Union, Washington DC Security Union, Security Union for Officers Washington DC

Law Enforcement Officers Security Unions (LEOSU-DC) Washington DC America’s Newest 9(b)3 Security Union For Law Enforcement, Security Police, Special Police, Security Guards and Security Professionals in Washington DC Capitol Region.