2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 5 - Police, Firefighters, Medical Examiner, and Forensic Sciences › Chapter 1 - Metropolitan Police › Subchapter III - Personnel › § 5–105.05. Composition of force; duties of positions

§ 5–105.05. Composition of force; duties of positions.
The said Metropolitan Police force shall consist of 1 Chief of Police, who shall continue to be invested with such powers and charged with such duties as is provided by existing law; and also of 1 Assistant Superintendent with the rank of inspector; 4 surgeons for the Police and Fire Departments; 3 inspectors; 10 captains; 12 lieutenants, one of whom shall be Harbor Master; and such number of sergeants; and privates of class 3; privates of class 2; privates of class 1; mounted inspectors, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, and privates on horses and bicycles, and such others as said Mayor may deem necessary within the appropriations made by Congress; provided, that the inspectors shall perform the duties required on June 8, 1906, of captains in the force, that the captains shall command police precincts and perform such duty or duties in connection therewith as the laws and regulations of the said Mayor may prescribe. The Chief of Police shall be charged with the enforcement of all laws and regulations relating to the harbor, and employ the lieutenant, force, and means provided for this service in the execution of the duties appertaining thereto. The Metropolitan Police force shall consist of not less than 3,000 officers and members, in addition to the persons appointed as surgeons for the Metropolitan Police force, appointed as police matrons, or appointed as special privates pursuant to § 5-129.03, and in addition to any retired officer or member of the Metropolitan Police force called back into service pursuant to § 5-712(a).
(Feb. 28, 1901, 31 Stat. 819, ch. 623, § 1; Mar. 3, 1905, 33 Stat. 902, ch. 1406; June 8, 1906, 34 Stat. 221, ch. 3056; May 9, 1956, 70 Stat. 148, ch. 243, § 1; June 27, 1961, 75 Stat. 121, Pub. L. 87-60, § 1.)
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 4-107.
1973 Ed., § 4-106.
Section References
This section is referenced in § 1-603.01 and § 1-632.03.
Cross References
Adult protective services, reports of abuse or neglect, see § 7-1903.
Criminal offenses, harbor regulations, see § 22-4401.
Criminal offenses, impersonating police officers, see § 22-1404.
Criminal offenses, prostitution, assessment of taxes against property used for, see § 22-2720.
Criminal proceedings, service of process, see § 16-703.
Designation of officer to take bonds or collateral, see § 23-1110.
Firearms control provisions, administration by Chief of Police, see § 7-2501.01 et seq.
Merit system, application to police officers and firefighters, see § 1-632.03.
Merit system, metropolitan police force, see § 1-603.01.
Pistols, issuance of licenses to carry, see § 22-4506.
Prevention of cruelty to animals and children, detailing officer to Humane Society, see §§ 44-1509 and 44-1510.
Uniform Controlled Substances Acts, enforcement, see § 48-905.01 et seq.
Weapons, permission to sell to designated classes of persons, see §§ 22-4508, 22-4510, and 22-4514.
Weapons, sales of, copying of records, see § 22-4510.
Wharves, control, see § 10-501.01 et seq.
Editor's Notes
Office of Major and Superintendent of Metropolitan Police abolished: See Historical and Statutory Notes following § 5-105.01.
Establishment of drug free zones: For provisions regarding procedures for the establishment of a public area as a drug free zone by the Chief of Police, see § 48-1002.
For temporary provisions regarding procedures for the establishment of a public area as a drug free zone by the Chief of Police, see § 3 of the Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Emergency Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-278, May 29, 1996, 43 DCR 2974), § 3 of the Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Legislative Review Emergency Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-319, July 31, 1996, 43 DCR 4487), § 3 of the Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Congressional Review Emergency Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-426, October 28, 1996, 43 DCR 6331), § 3 of the Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Second Congressional Review Emergency Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-468, December 30, 1996, 44 DCR 175), and § 3 of the Anti-Loitering/Drug Free Zone Congressional Review Emergency Act of 1997 (D.C. Act 12-55, March 31, 1997, 44 DCR 2219).
Change in Government
This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.