WMATA launches in-house transit police training with its Transit Police Criminal Justice Academy

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) welcomed the inaugural class of the new Metro Transit Police Department Criminal Justice Academy. 

Previously MTPD outsourced a criminal justice academy to train recruits, but creating its own training academy will save WMATA nearly $1 million a year, which includes fees that were paid to other training facilities and personnel costs. 

The academy will host three classes a year, instead of two previously. That will allow MTPD to train more officers yearly and get them in WMATA’s system faster. 

The academy will provide MTPD staff the opportunity to focus heavily on transit policing and training specific to WMATA, while still meeting training objectives established by the state of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia.  

In addition to these objectives, recruits will have training in community engagement, de-escalation, crisis intervention and civil disturbance. 

Each recruit session goes through eight months of training, followed by an additional 10 weeks of field training. 

The inaugural class is made up of 24 recruits from throughout the region.