The Mayor of the District of Columbia may, upon any emergency of riot, pestilence, invasion, insurrection, or during any day of public election, ceremony, or celebration, appoint as many special privates without pay, from among the citizens, as he may deem advisable, and for a specified time. During the term of service of such special privates, they shall possess all the powers and privileges and perform all the duties of the privates of the standing police force of the District and such special privates shall wear an emblem to be presented by the Mayor.

(R.S., D.C., §§ 378, 379; June 11, 1878, 20 Stat. 107, ch. 180, § 6.)

1981 Ed., § 4-130.

1973 Ed., § 4-133.

This section is referenced in § 5-105.05.

Delegation of Authority to the Chief of Police to Appoint Special Police Without Pay, see Mayor’s Order 2009-4, January 16, 2009 ( 56 DCR 2018).

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.