Section 6-B874. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA POLICE TRAINING AND STANDARDS BOARD

 

874.1There is hereby established the District of Columbia Police Training and Standards Board (“Board”).

 

874.2Membership on the Board shall consist of the following 11 persons who shall be voting members:

 

(a)The Mayor or the Mayor’s designee;

 

(b)Chief of Police, Metropolitan Police Department or the Chief of Police’s designee;

 

(c)Corporation Counsel for the District of Columbia or the Corporation Counsel’s designee;

 

(d)United States Attorney for the District of Columbia or the United States Attorney’s designee;

 

(e)Assistant Director in Charge, Washington Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Assistant Director’s designee;

 

(f)Representative of the District of Columbia Superior Court appointed by the Mayor in consultation with the Chief Judge of the Superior Court;

 

(g)One criminal justice educator appointed by the Mayor;

 

(h)Two police representatives appointed by the Mayor in consultation with the Chief of Police; and

 

(i)Two community representatives appointed by the Mayor.

 

874.3The following persons may be advisory, nonvoting members of the Board:

 

(a)The Executive Director, Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission; and

 

(b)The Executive Director, Virginia Division of Training and Standards.

 

874.4The appointments to the Board shall be for a 3-year term.

 

874.5No member shall serve beyond the time when he or she holds the office or employment by reason of which he or she was initially eligible for appointment. Any member chosen to fill a vacancy created otherwise than by expiration of a term shall be appointed for the unexpired portion of the term of the member whom he or she succeeds.

 

874.6The members shall receive no salary, but shall be reimbursed for their expenses lawfully incurred in the performance of their official functions.

 

874.7Members appointed to the Board by the Mayor may be removed by the Mayor for incompetence, neglect of duty, or misconduct.

 

874.8The Chairperson shall be appointed by the Mayor from among the voting members of the Board and the vice chair shall be elected from among the voting members.

 

874.9The Board shall hold its initial meeting promptly after the appointment and qualification of its members. Thereafter, the Board shall meet a minimum of twice each calendar year and at other times as it or the Board’s Chairperson may determine. The majority of the voting members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, the performance of duties or for the exercise of any of its authority. Advisory members shall be entitled to participate in the business and deliberation of the Board, but shall not be entitled to vote. The Board shall establish its own procedures and requirements with respect to the place and conduct of its meetings.

 

874.10Duties of the Board; standards for applicants; continuing education program.

 

874.11The Board shall establish application and appointment criteria that include the following:

 

(a)That an applicant be a citizen of the United States at the time of application;

 

(b)Age limits;

 

(c)Height and weight guidelines;

 

(d)Physical fitness and health standards;

 

(e)Psychological fitness and health standards;

 

(f)The completion of a criminal background investigation;

 

(g)The consideration to be placed on an applicant’s participation in court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense at any time from application through appointment;

 

(h)The consideration to be placed on an applicant’s criminal history, including juvenile records;

 

(i)The completion of a background investigation;

 

(j)Military discharge classification information;

 

(k)Information on their prior service with the Metropolitan Police Department, if any.

 

874.12The administrative work of the Board shall be carried out by members of the Metropolitan Police Department as appointed by the Chief of Police.

 

874.13Notwithstanding the standards established by the Board in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, the Chief of Police is authorized to deny employment to any applicant based upon conduct occurring while the applicant was a minor if, considering the totality of the circumstances, the Chief of Police determines that the applicant has not displayed the good moral character or integrity necessary to perform the duties of a sworn member of the Metropolitan Police Department.

 

874.14Each applicant selected for appointment as a sworn member of the Metropolitan Police Department shall successfully complete an initial training program developed by the Training and Standards Board, unless the applicant receives a waiver pursuant to § 874.69.

 

874.15The Training and Standards Board shall determine:

 

(a)The minimum number of hours required for the initial training program;

 

(b)If and under what circumstances the initial training program will include temporary deployment of the applicant prior to regular deployment as a sworn member; and

 

(c)The subjects to be included as part of every applicant’s initial training.

 

874.16Prior to deployment, each applicant shall successfully complete an initial firearms training program developed by the Board.

 

874.17The Board shall determine the appropriate sequence, content, and duration of the initial training program and of the initial firearms training program.

 

874.18The Metropolitan Police Department is authorized to utilize the services of other law enforcement agencies or organizations engaged in the education and training of law enforcement personnel to satisfy any portion of the initial training program or the initial firearms training program.

 

874.19The Chief of Police is authorized to modify or waive the initial training program and initial firearms training program requirements for either of the following:

 

(a)Any applicant who is a former sworn member of the Metropolitan Police Department who has been separated from employment with the Metropolitan Police Department for less than 3 years; or

 

(b)Any former member of a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency who has completed training similar to the Metropolitan Police Department’s initial training program and initial firearms training program and who has been separated from employment with a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency for less than 3 years.

 

874.20The Training and Standards Board shall:

 

(a)Develop and implement a program of continuing education for its sworn members.

 

(b)Determine the components for the Metropolitan Police Department's continuing education program;

 

(c)Determine the appropriate consequence, including ineligibility for promotion, if a member fails to satisfy the continuing education requirement; and

 

(d)Require each sworn member to successfully complete a firearms training program.

 

874.21The Metropolitan Police Department is authorized to utilize the services of other law enforcement agencies or organizations engaged in the education and training of law enforcement personnel to satisfy any portion of the required continuing education or the firearms training program. The Board shall establish guidelines for the approval of any training program.

 

874.22The Training and Standards Board shall:

 

(a)Establish the minimum requirements for any instructor of any component of the Metropolitan Police Department's initial training program, continuing education program, or firearms training program; and

 

(b)Through the Chief of Police, not later than November 31 of each calendar year, deliver a report to the Mayor and the Council concerning the Metropolitan Police Department's initial training program, continuing education program, and firearms training program.

 

(c)The report shall include the number of:

 

(1)Applicants who have successfully completed the application process;

 

(2)Applicants who have completed the initial training program;

 

(3)Sworn members who have completed the continuing education and firearms training programs; and

 

(4)A plan for the following calendar year’s recruiting efforts and initial and continuing education programs, including plans for correcting any deficiencies indicated by the data from the preceding calendar year.

 

874.23Any applicant who met the age requirement at the time of application and who was denied appointment on the basis of racial discrimination, as determined by the Director of the Office of Human Rights, may be appointed notwithstanding the applicant’s age at the time of that determination.

 

874.24Applications for appointment to the Metropolitan Police Department shall be made on forms furnished by the Metropolitan Police Department.

 

874.25Appointments to the Metropolitan Police Department shall be for a probationary period to be determined by the Training and Standards Board. Continuation of service after the expiration of that period shall be dependent upon the conduct of the appointee and his or her capacity for the performance of the duties to which assigned, as indicated by reports of superior officers. The probationary period shall be an extension of the examination period.

 

874.26If the Police and Fire Clinic shall find any probationer physically or mentally unfit to continue his or her duties, that probationer shall be required to appear before the Police and Firefighter’s Retirement and Relief Board. That Board shall make any findings as are required pursuant to section 12(i) of the Policemen and Firemen's Retirement and Disability Act and those findings shall be incorporated in a recommendation submitted to the Mayor.

 

874.27Each police officer appointed shall maintain a level of physical fitness to be determined by the Training and Standards Board. The final determination with respect to inappropriate fitness levels shall be made by the Medical Director of the Police and Fire Clinic.

 

source

Final Rulemaking published at 48 DCR 8973(September 28, 2001).