COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF COUNCILMEMBER BROOKE PINTO
THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 106
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004
March 24, 2025
Nyasha Howard, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Secretary Howard,
Today Councilmember Wendell Felder and I are introducing the “Metropolitan Police Department
Training Academy College Credit Opportunity Amendment Act of 2025.” Councilmember
Matthew Frumin is co-introducing this bill. This bill would allow the Metropolitan Police
Department (“MPD”) to enter into an agreement with an accredited college or university so that
college credit hours earned through the MPD Academy may count toward the 60-credit-hour
eligibility requirement for sworn officers. These transferrable credits may account for up to 15 of
the 60 required hours.
Currently, MPD has 3,236 sworn officers – one of the lowest numbers of sworn members in the
past 50 years
1
. Recruiting is a nationwide challenge at this time. The International Association of
Chiefs of Police (IACP) found that the top two challenges in recruitment are that applicants do not
meet eligibility requirements and competition from other law enforcement agencies
2
.
These challenges are acutely felt in the District, where we face significant competition from
neighboring jurisdictions that have different qualification requirements, starting salaries, and
incentives. Additionally, almost all other local police departments only require a high school
diploma or GED, whereas MPD requires 60 credit hours obtained at an accredited college or
university. Arlington and Montgomery Counties are the only other local police departments that
require 60 college credit hours, but they offer slightly higher starting salaries, a 37.5-hour work
week, and a variety of other benefits such as take-home cars.
The District rightly prides itself in having highly qualified police officers, and we must maintain
high standards. MPD Academy training includes coursework that is equivalent to many university-
level classes, including introductory coursework on the criminal justice system, contemporary
police systems and problems, and issues in criminal law. MPD recruits should have the opportunity
to earn college credit for curricula that meet the standards for college coursework by an accredited
university. It is reasonable and fair to ensure that college credits, earned from an accredited
institution through the MPD Academy prior to becoming a full sworn officer, count toward the 60-
hour requirement.
1
Metropolitan Police Department, Staffing Reports, available here.
2
International Association of Chiefs of Police, The State of Recruitment & Retention: A Continuing Crisis for
Policing, 2024 Survey Results, available here.
To continue the progress that the District has made with public safety in the past year, the Council
must continually look at how to ensure MPD has enough recruits and sworn officers while
maintaining high standards for our officers. This bill would supplement MPD’s robust recruitment
efforts and help MPD compete with other local jurisdictions by streamlining the credits recruits
are required to earn when entering into the Department.
Should you have any questions about this legislation, please contact my Legislative Assistant,
Esther Bundens, at ebundens@dccouncil.gov
Thank you,
Brooke Pinto
Councilmember, Ward 2
Chairwoman, Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety
Council of the District of Columbia
_____________________________ ______________________________ 1
Councilmember Wendell Felder Councilmember Brooke Pinto 2
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Councilmember Matthew Frumin 6
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A BILL 8
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 12
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To allow applicants for sworn officers of the Metropolitan Police Department to count certain 17
credit hours for completion of the initial training program towards the requirement that 18
certain applicants complete 60- hours of post-secondary education at an accredited college 19
or university. 20
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 22
act may be cited as the “Metropolitan Police Department Training Academy College Credit 23
Opportunity Amendment Act of 2025” . 24
Sec. 2. Section 202(e)(1) of the Omnibus Police Reform Amendment Act of 2000, 25
effective October 4, 2000 ( D.C. Law 13- 160; D.C. Official Code § 5–107.01) , is amended to 26
read as follows: 27
“(1) Successfully completed 60 hours of post-secondary education at an accredited college or 28
university; except that, if MPD enters into an agreement with an accredited college or university 29
to award at least 15 credit hours to recruits successfully completing the Department’s initial 30
training program, an applicant may satisfy this paragraph by successfully completing 45 hours of 31
post-secondary education at an accredited college or university prior to joining the initial training 32
program;”. 33
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 34 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 35
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 36
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1- 301.47a). 37
Sec. 4. Effective date. 38
This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 39
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30- day period of congressional review as 40
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 41
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1- 206.02(c)(1)). 42
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