Mayor Bowser to Highlight Plans to Make More DC Residents Eligible for the MPD Cadet Program

(Washington, DC) – On Thursday, November 18, at 11 am, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Chief Robert J. Contee, III of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will highlight legislation that the Mayor submitted today to make more DC residents eligible to participate in the MPD Cadet Corps. The legislation removes the requirement that applicants must have graduated from a DC high school; in doing so, MPD can do more to build a police department that represents and reflects the city and ensure that high-quality candidates who live in DC and are invested in the community are not overlooked. The Cadet Program is a critical tool for recruiting and hiring DC residents to serve as DC police. Approximately half of MPD’s current cadets are women and 97% of cadets are people of color.

In 2016, Mayor Bowser expanded eligibility for the Cadet Program by increasing the maximum age for participating from 21 to 24. Since coming into office, the Mayor has grown the Cadet Program from 20 cadets in 2015 to 150 cadets in Fiscal Year 2022.

Tomorrow, the Mayor and the Chief will also highlight that MPD is relaunching the High School Cadet Program (HSCP). The mission of HSCP is to provide mentoring, training, and experience to those interested in the field of law enforcement. The program provides first-hand experiences and insight into the operations of MPD, and upon graduation from high school or the obtainment of a GED, the participants are converted to a full-time member of the Cadet Corps Program and enroll in the University of the District of Columbia Community College.

After the press conference, MPD will hold a Cadet Prospect Day to engage young people who might be interested in joining the High School Cadet Program or the Cadet Corps.

When:

Thursday, November 18, at 11 am

Who:

Mayor Muriel Bowser
Robert J. Contee, III, Chief, Metropolitan Police Department
Chris Geldart, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice
Dr. Melissa Kim, Deputy Chancellor, DC Public Schools

Where:

Ballou High School
First Floor Library
3401 4th Street, SE
*Closest Bus Stop: A2 bus – Mississippi Avenue & 4th Street SE*
*Closest Bikeshare Station: Mississippi Avenue & 4th Street SE*

Press interested in attending the event are asked to RSVP to press@dc.gov. 

The DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment will provide a live feed of this event to watch from a safe, virtual space. To view event online visit mayor.dc.gov/live, tune in on Channel 16 (DCN) or any of the social media platforms below.