The Metropolitan Police Department may have reached its goal of 3,800 sworn members, but the MPDC is still actively recruiting qualified police officer candidates in order to maintain its fully authorized strength. The Department's 2006 recruiting season kicks off this Saturday, February 4, 2006, with a day-long Career Expo at the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /?>WashingtonConvention Center in Northwest. 

Recruiters will be on hand to discuss law enforcement career opportunities in the MPDC with both entry-level candidates and experienced officers from other agencies who are interested in joining the Department through its lateral-hire program. Interested applicants can complete application forms and take the written police test on-site at the Expo.

In addition to making it easy for applicants to initiate the hiring process, the Career Expo is designed to give prospective police officers and their families an inside look at the Metropolitan Police Department. Representatives from many of the Department's patrol and specialized enforcement units will be on hand to demonstrate their latest equipment, training and techniques. Specialized recruiting resources for female, Asian, Latino, and gay and lesbians candidates will also be available.

The entry-level salary for MPDC officers is $44,611 a year.  After 18 months, officers earn $48,809.

Information about career opportunities in the MPDC, including employee benefits and the requirements for becoming a police officer, can be found on the Department's website: www.mpdc.dc.gov/join. Officer candidates are now required to have completed at least 60 hours of college credit, essentially the equivalent of two years of higher education, at the time of application.