Councilmember Nadeau announces bill to bolster DC Police cadet program amid recruiting struggles

WASHINGTON — With just over 3,350 officers, the size of the DC Police force keeps shrinking as officers leave faster than they can be replaced.

The most recent staffing report for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) shows that as of March 31, 54 officers were sworn in but 76 left the department during the same period. 

"Unfortunately, MPD is at a historic low in terms of staffing. We continue to do anything possible to recruit the best of the best," said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser during a Thursday news conference announcing the [MPD] new public safety strategy. 

In April, Bowser announced that she was boosting the hiring bonus for new D.C. police officers from $20,000 to $25,000 in an effort to get MPD back on the path to 4,000 sworn officers. 

Outgoing Police Chief Robert Contee discussed his efforts to bolster the MPD Cadet Corp during the joint news conference with Bowser. Contee joined MPD's Cadet Corp November of 1989. 

"We have expanded our police program to now have 118 young people, majority of them from Ward 7 and Ward 8. Half of those young woman that are having a paid salary, their tuition is paid for. We are paying for their education and they have a career in law enforcement," said Contee. 

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau is also seeking to bolster recruiting and retention for the cadet program through new legislation that raises the age of eligibility and pay.

"It can begin is early as high school. It creates a career path for our residents," Nadeau told WUSA9. 

Nadeau's bill would raise the age from 24 to 33 and would increase pay from $36,000 to $60,000. 

"By raising the wage, we make it a more appealing program and it allows us to actually retain program participants," said Nadeau who added that currently there is a 20% turnover in the program. Increasing pay would provide a wage so that the cadets to not have to have multiple jobs according to the Ward One councilmember.

The DC Police Union is pushing back on Nadeau's legislation calling it "nothing more than a shameless effort to back pedal on her years of demonizing police officers and calling for the MPD to be defunded."

In a statement to WUSA9, the Union's Chairman, Gregg Pemberton said "the Act will do nothing to replace the 1,200 police officers that have left the agency since 2020. The department averages 25 cadets rolling over into police officers per year. That is the same number the department is losing per month.  

Nadeau says she is looking for the support from her colleagues to present the bill next week.