The District of Columbia Public Schools Law Enforcement Division is a fully operational 24-hour police unit, under the School Security Division (SSD), and conducts police patrols throughout the city’s public schools system and Police Service Areas. The District of Columbia Public Schools Law Enforcement Division was created to increase security for students, staff, and visitors of public schools t
hrough a grassroots approach to community policing. It is committed to the prevention of crime, the protection of life and property, and the preservation of peace and safety in and around public schools in the District of Columbia. DCPS-LED recognizes the challenges inherent in ensuring community and school safety for students, staff, and visitors of public schools and the extended communities around school areas. DCPS-LED works in partnership with DCPS staff and the Metropolitan Police Department to meet this challenge. DCPD-LED nurtures community trust, particularly the trust of DCPS staff, by holding itself to the highest standards of performance and ethics. It is committed to providing public safety services that are of the highest quality and responsive to the needs of the public school system. DCPS-LED is a fully operational 24-hour police force, under the School Safety Division (SSD), which covers fixed security stations and conducts police patrols throughout the city’s public schools system. Headed by Chief of Police Robert Thomas, the DCPSPD is staffed with:
◦Duly sworn law enforcement officers who have concurrent jurisdiction with MPD throughout the District of Columbia and commissioned by the Mayor of the District of Columbia to have full arrest powers on and around DCPS properties.
◦Contract security officers who screen students and visitors at DCPS schools
◦Civilian administrative support personnel
