District of Columbia Administrative Code

1106 SECURITY AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES 1106.1 No investigation or commission under this chapter shall relieve any security agency or other employer of the duty to investigate and make its own determination of an applicant's suitability for employment as a special police officer. 1…

1107 TRAINING 1107.1 Special police officers 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. 1107.2 Pre-assignment training shall include at least sixteen (16) hours of…

1108 DURATION 1108.1 A commission as a special police officer under the provisions of D.C. Official Code §4-114 (1981), shall be for one (1) year or less in the discretion of the Mayor. 1108.2 The order of the Mayor directing the issuance of a commission shall not be transmitted …

1109 UNIFORMS 1109.1 Unless, for good cause shown, the wearing of a uniform is specifically waived upon the face of the commission by the Chief of Police, special police officers shall, while on duty, wear distinctive uniforms. 1109.2 On or after September 1, 1949, on each unifor…

1110 DISCIPLINARY ACTION 1110.1 The Chief of Police shall report to the Mayor information supplied to him or her by the commanders of the several police districts concerning conduct of any special police officers which in his or her judgment requires disciplinary action. SOURCE: …

1200 APPOINTMENT: GENERAL PROVISIONS 1200.1 Campus and university special police officers may be appointed by the Chief of Police for duty in connection with the property of, or under the charge of, an academic institution of higher education requesting the appointment. 1200.2 Ca…

1201 APPOINTMENT: SECTION 5-129.02 APPOINTMENTS 1201.1 For the purposes of this chapter, the term “D.C. Official Code § 5-129.02 (2001) refers to (An Act) making appropriates to provide for the expenses of the government of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June…

1202 RESTRICTIONS 1202.1 No person appointed as a campus or university special police officer under the provision of D.C. Official Code § 5-129.02 (2001) shall display a badge, weapon, or other evidence of authority in any place other than the property owned by, or under the cont…

1203 REVOCATION AND TERMINATION OF COMMISSION 1203.1 Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the exercise of authority as a campus or university special police officer in carrying or using other firearms, other dangerous weapons, or emblems of authority, in violation of §§1…

1204 APPLICATIONS 1204.1 Applications for the appointment of campus and university special police officers shall be made jointly in the names of the prospective officers and the name of the academic institution of higher education or corporation representing the academic institut…

1205 DURATION 1205.1 A commission as a campus or university special police officer under the provisions of D.C. Official Code § 5-129.02 (2001) shall be effective for a period of two (2) years. Renewal of a commission for additional two (2) year periods may be made in the discret…

1207 UNIFORMS 1207.1 Unless, for good cause shown, the wearing of a uniform is specifically waived upon the face of the commission by the Chief of Police, campus and university special police officers, while on duty, shall wear distinctive uniforms. A director of chief of a campu…

1208 DISCIPLINARY ACTION 1208.1 The District commanders shall report to the Chief of Police any information supplied to them by the patrol force of the several police districts concerning conduct by any campus or university special police force officer which, in the commander’s j…

200 PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES 200.1 It shall be the duty of each member of the force to thoroughly familiarize himself or herself with the Metropolitan Police Manual by the time he or she completes recruit training school. 200.2 Notwithstanding the assignment of specific duties and r…

202 STANDARDS OF CONDUCT 202.1 A member of the force shall at all times do the following: (a) Maintain decorum and command of temper; (b) Be patient and discreet; (c) Use no harsh, violent, profane or insolent language; and (d) Be courteous and considerate under all circumstances…

206 BADGES, CAP PLATES, IDENTIFICATION CARDS, AND REVOLVERS 206.1 A member of the force, when off-duty any place in the District of Columbia, shall carry his or her badge, identification card, and service pistol except in his or her residence and as the Chief of Police may design…

207 USE OF FIREARMS AND OTHER WEAPONS 207.1 It is the policy of the Metropolitan Police Department that each member of the department shall in all cases use only the minimum amount of force which is consistent with the accomplishment of his or her mission, and shall exhaust every…

PURPOSE This chapter prescribes policies and procedures to be followed by any person seeking service of process upon members of the Metropolitan Police Department (Department) in connection with a legal matter arising out of the performance of their official duties for the Depart…

NOTIFICATION OF SUBPOENAS A person seeking to serve a subpoena upon a member of the Department in connection with a legal matter arising out of the performance of his or her official duties may request that the Department notify the member of the subpoena by transmitting via elec…

NOTIFICATION OF SUMMONSES AND COMPLAINTS A person seeking to serve a summons and complaint upon a member of the Department in connection with a civil lawsuit arising out of the performance of his or her official duties may request that the Department notify the member of the summ…

PERSONAL AND SUBSTITUTE SERVICE OF PROCESS Notwithstanding the notification provisions of this section, a party or his or her attorney (if the party is represented) may choose to effect personal service of process upon a member. A member may appoint the head of the bureau to whic…

2100 SOURCE OF AUTHORITY 2100.1 The Police Complaints Board (the “Board” or “PCB”) and the Office of Police Complaints (“OPC”) were established on March 26, 1999 by the Council of the District of Columbia in the Office of Citizen Complaint Review Establishment Act of 1998 (the “A…

2100 SOURCE OF AUTHORITY 2100.1 The Police Complaints Board (the “Board” or “PCB”) and the Office of Police Complaints (“OPC”) were established on March 26, 1999 by the Council of the District of Columbia in the Office of Citizen Complaint Review Establishment Act of 1998 (the “A…

2102 THE POLICE COMPLAINTS BOARD 2102.1 The Board shall consist of five (5) residents of the District of Columbia, one of whom shall be a member of the MPD and four (4) of whom shall have no current affiliation with any law enforcement authority. Members of the Board shall be unc…

2103 THE OFFICE OF POLICE COMPLAINTS 2103.1 OPC shall be headed by an Executive Director, who is appointed by the Board to serve a term of three (3) years, or until a successor is appointed. An Executive Director may be reappointed. The Board may remove the Executive Director fro…

2104 JURISDICTION 2104.1 OPC shall have the authority to receive a complaint against a member or members of the MPD or DCHAPD (herein jointly referred to as “subject officers”) that alleges abuse or misuse of police powers by such member or members, including: (a) Harassment; (b)…

2105 STANDING TO FILE A COMPLAINT 2105.1 A complaint may be filed with OPC by: An alleged victim; Any individual having personal knowledge of alleged police misconduct; or The parent, legal guardian, or legal representative of either (a) or (b) above. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking pub…

2106 FILING COMPLAINTS 2106.1 A complaint must be on a form approved by OPC, reduced to writing and signed by the complainant or the complainant’s parent, legal guardian or legal representative. Complaint forms shall conclude with the following statement: “I hereby certify that t…

2107 TIMELINESS 2107.1 Unless extended for good cause, a complaint form must be received by OPC within ninety (90) days from the date of the incident that is the subject of the complaint. 2107.2 The Executive Director may, in his or her discretion, extend the deadline for filing …

2108 INITIAL REVIEW OF COMPLAINTS 2108.1 Upon the receipt of a complaint, OPC shall create a case file for the complaint, designate a number for the complaint, enter the case in a database, and preserve any body-worn camera evidence. 2108.2 OPC may request additional information …

2109 WITHDRAWAL OF COMPLAINTS 2109.1 A complaint may be withdrawn orally or in writing from further consideration at any time by the complainant. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 49 DCR 8347 (August 30, 2002); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 64 DCR 12677 (Decembe…

2110 DISMISSAL OF COMPLAINTS 2110.1 A complaint may be dismissed on the following grounds: (a) The complaint is deemed to lack merit; (b) The complainant refuses to cooperate with the investigation; or (c) The complainant willfully fails to participate in good faith in the mediat…

2111 REFERRAL OF COMPLAINT TO THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY 2111.1 If the Executive Director determines that the misconduct alleged in the complaint or disclosed by investigation may be criminal in nature, he or she shall refer the case to the United States Attorney for the District…

2112 POLICY TRAINING REFERRAL OF COMPLAINTS 2112.1 If the Executive Director finds that an officer appears to be in violation of an MPD General Order, District Code, constitutional ruling, or other guiding authority, and that correction is best accomplished through additional tra…

2113 RAPID RESOLUTION REFERRAL OF COMPLAINTS 2113.1 If the Executive Director finds that an officer acted in compliance with all rules and regulations, then the Executive Director may refer the complaint to MPD or DCHAPD to contact the complainant to address the concerns. 2113.2 …

2114 CONCILIATION OF COMPLAINTS 2114.1 If deemed appropriate by the Executive Director and if the complainant and the subject officer agree to participate, the Executive Director may attempt to resolve a complaint by conciliation. The complainant and the subject officer shall be …

2115 MEDIATION OF COMPLAINTS 2115.1 OPC may refer complaints to mediation. Mediation is a way for the complainant and the subject officer to meet face-to-face with a neutral third party in an attempt to resolve their differences. OPC shall be permitted to contract for mediation s…

2116 INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS 2116.1 The investigation shall be completed in an expeditious and efficient manner. 2116.2 The Executive Director may issue subpoenas under seal of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia compelling the complainant, the subject officer(s), …

2117 SELECTION OF THE COMPLAINT EXAMINER 2117.1 The complaint examiner shall be chosen from a pool of persons selected by the Executive Director and approved by the Board, taking into account the factors set forth in D.C. Official Code § 5-1106(c). 2117.2 In order to remain in th…

2118 DUTIES OF COMPLAINT EXAMINER 2118.1 The complaint examiner shall consider the complaint in a fair and impartial manner, ensure that facts are fully elicited, adjudicate all issues and avoid undue delay. 2118.2 If the parties express a willingness to resolve the complaint thr…

2119 PRELIMINARY HEARING CONFERENCE 2119.1 If the complaint examiner determines that an evidentiary hearing is necessary, a preliminary hearing conference shall be scheduled within forty (40) days of his or her assignment to the matter. The conference may be conducted by telephon…

2120 HEARING PROCEDURES 2120.1 The complaint examiner must provide the complainant and the subject officer at least twenty (20) days advance notice of the hearing. The notice shall include the time, date and location of the hearing. If requested by the complainant or the subject …

2121 RECORD OF HEARING 2121.1 The complaint examiner shall maintain the official record of the case until final findings of fact and a determination of the complaint are made. 2121.2 The record shall include: (a) Any notices or other procedural matters reduced to writing; (b) All…

2122 FINDINGS OF FACT AND DETERMINATION 2122.1 Within thirty (30) days of either the conclusion of the hearing, the submission of final briefs, if required, or the assignment to a complaint examiner of a case that does not require an evidentiary hearing, the complaint examiner sh…