Program areas at Washington DC Police Foundation
The Foundation supports a variety of youth programs and community outreach initiatives for the Washington metropolitan Police department. All programs support the mission of building positive police-community relationships within Washington DC, as well as educating youth on public safety and careers within law enforcement. Some programs include students taking another route to success (stars), junior Police academy, reaching new heights, officer friendly, mpd cadets, as well as each district's individual outreach efforts. All programs involve officer mentors and community partnerships. In 2022, Foundation support continued developing and enhancing programming for mpd youth, reaching over 15,000 individuals.
The Foundation supports initiatives with Washington metropolitan Police partner organizations such as DC fire and ems. As local Police, fire and ems work collaboratively, requests have been filled to support the fire and ems k-9 unit, small events, as well as first responer care initiatives.
The Foundation youth program pipeline includes programs such as junior cadet and classrooms to careers. Programs have mpd and educator mentors and meet throughout the year. Each program targets different age groups and has a different mission, including educating youth on law enforcement, building self-esteem, and career exploration in public safety. Programs are managed in partnership with DC public schools, mpd and the Foundation.
The Foundation supported a variety of other program and special events, such as the annual awards ceremony, DC pal, shop with a cop, general youth and community outreach and officer morale support. The awards ceremony is an annual fundraiser where the business community can show their appreciation for mpd officers and civilian staff who went above and beyond over the past year. The DC pal programs include both a baseball and football league for youth managed by mpd officer mentors. These programs allow youth to build positive relationships and communication skills through athletics.