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Off-duty police are sworn law enforcement officers you hire for a detail outside their regular shifts. GRDX arranges them for events, traffic control, construction zones, businesses and schools across Virginia, D.C. and Maryland. Our Police Services team, led by Elgin Barnes, handles the scheduling and is your single point of contact.
Why hire a sworn police officer and not a guard?
Hire a sworn officer when the job needs police powers or the sight of police. Directing traffic on a public road. A large crowd where tempers might run. A school event where parents expect to see a badge.
A security officer does a lot of things well. Stopping traffic on a county road isn't one of them. Some permits and some insurers will ask for sworn police by name. We'll tell you when that's the case and when a licensed security officer would do the same job for less.
Then there is the effect a marked car has. Drivers slow down for it without being asked. A crowd settles a little when it sees one parked by the gate.
What kinds of details do off-duty officers work?
Off-duty officers work five kinds of details for our clients.
Schools lean on them mostly at the edges of the day and for big gatherings. Arrival and dismissal, when cars and kids crowd the same driveway. Friday night games. Graduations. Dances. A board meeting where a heated topic is on the agenda.
Parents tend to recognize a police uniform right away, and that does a lot of the work. Officers can also handle traffic on the public road outside the school, which school staff and security officers usually can't.
Events
Festivals, concerts, parades, school games.
Traffic control
Intersections, lane closures, event parking exits.
Construction
Work zones next to live traffic.
Businesses
Retail, banks, dealerships at high-risk hours.
Schools
Arrival, dismissal, games and after-hours events.
How do I book an off-duty officer?
Booking takes one call or form, and we do the legwork from there.
Cancellations happen, and weather moves outdoor dates. Tell us as soon as plans change so the officers can be released or moved to the new date.
- Tell us the date, hours, address and what the officer needs to do.
- We confirm what the detail requires, including any permit or vehicle needs.
- Our Police Services team finds and confirms sworn officers for the slot.
- You get the officer's arrival details and a supervisor to call on the day.
- After the detail, you get one invoice from GRDX.
Who runs Police Services at GRDX?
Elgin Barnes runs it. He is our Director of Special Services, trained by the FBI as a hostage negotiator, and has close to 30 years in law enforcement.
He knows how departments handle outside work and what officers will and won't take on. That saves you the back-and-forth of calling precincts and chasing replies. Deputy Chief Bill Waters, in law enforcement since 1989, oversees client experience and risk across these accounts.
Having one office handle it also means one standard. Every detail gets the same confirmation, the same arrival details and the same supervisor contact.
Can I mix off-duty police with security officers?
Yes, and for bigger events we often recommend it. Put sworn officers on traffic and the main entrance. Put licensed security officers on bag checks, wristbands and backstage doors.
You get police where police are needed and don't pay police rates for every post. One supervisor coordinates both teams, so there's still one person to call.
A typical split for a 2,000-person outdoor festival might be police at the road crossings and main gate, security officers everywhere else. The exact numbers come from the site walk, not a formula.
Paying police rates only where a badge is needed usually brings the total down, and the event still looks well policed from the street.
What should I have ready when I call?
Have the basics ready: date, start and end time, the street address, and a rough headcount if it's an event. That's enough to start.
It helps to know a few more things too. Is there a permit that names a requirement for police? Will the officer stand at one intersection or move around? Is there a lot where they can park a cruiser? Who on your side will meet them when they arrive?
If you don't know some of it, call anyway. Elgin's team has worked a lot of these details and can tell you what questions the permit office or the department is going to ask. Better to sort it out a week before than at 6 a.m. on the day.
Questions
Can I hire an off-duty police officer for a private party?+
Yes, in most cases. Tell us the location, guest count and hours and we will confirm what's available for that date.
Do off-duty officers bring a police car?+
It depends on the officer's department and the detail. If the job needs a marked vehicle, say so when you book and we confirm it before the date.
How much notice do you need to book off-duty police?+
More notice is better, especially for weekends and holidays. Reach out the moment the date is set, and you'll hear back by the next business day.
Are off-duty officers allowed to make arrests at my event?+
Yes. They remain sworn officers and keep their police powers within the rules of their own department and jurisdiction.
Do you provide off-duty police in Washington D.C.?+
Yes. We arrange details across Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland, depending on officer availability for your date.
Can off-duty police work at a construction site on a public road?+
Yes. Work-zone traffic control is one of the most common details we arrange, and some permits require a sworn officer for it.