The Los Angeles Police Department Cadet Program, known informally as the LAPD Cadets, is a

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

program run and sponsored by the

Los Angeles Police Department The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...

for youth aged 13 to 17. The cadet program is similar in nature to the

police explorer Law Enforcement Exploring, commonly referred to as "Police Explorers" is a career-oriented program that gives young adults the opportunity to explore a career in law enforcement by working with local law enforcement agencies. Founded on July 12, 1 ...

programs that are present in many police departments through the

Learning for Life Learning for Life (LFL) is a United States school and work-site based youth program that is an affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizati ...

program. Cadets volunteer in several different ways for the police department, including taking part in ride alongs, crowd control, charity assistance, working in stations, and other tasks. The cadet program has posts at all of the LAPD's 21 regional divisions, South and Central Traffic divisions, LAPD Headquarters, and a post in partnership with the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

. The

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

and

Los Angeles Airport Police The Los Angeles Airport Police Division (sometimes known as LAWAPD or LAXPD) is the airport police division of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the city department that owns and operates two airports in Southern California: Los Angeles Inter ...

both host affiliated cadet posts as well, and as of 2014 there were 5,000 cadets.

History

The LAPD program was formerly associated with

, but it was withdrawn from the program and reorganized as an independent organization in 2007 after the police commission broke off their partnership with the

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...

over their policy of barring gays, atheists and agnostics from being troop leaders. The newer cadet program shifted focus from the old explorer program, which focused primarily on preparing cadets for a career in law enforcement, to a broader program that is designed to give cadets a solid foundation in life and to help them prepare for whatever careers they choose by offering things like tutoring and college scholarships to different cadets in need of assistance. The cadets complete courses not only on law enforcement but also on citizenship, leadership, financial literacy and other different skill sets.

Membership

In order to join the cadet program a person must be between the ages of 13 and 17, maintain a 2.0 grade point average, have no serious criminal record, obtain a medical examination, and complete the cadet academy.

Organization and Structure

Each Cadet Post is run by two Youth Services Officers, who are sworn police officers. At each post, a staff of senior cadets mentors and teaches the more junior cadets. While cadets have, and can promote to, different ranks, cadet rank is designed to provide mentorship and leadership, and cannot issue orders or impose punishment.

Training

Recruits must attend the Cadet Leadership Academy, which lasts for fifteen consecutive Saturdays. Recruits learn basic law enforcement skills through classroom learning, physical training, and drill. Classes taught at the academy include

criminal law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It prescribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and moral welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal law i ...

public speaking Public speaking, also called oratory or oration, has traditionally meant the act of speaking face to face to a live audience. Today it includes any form of speaking (formally and informally) to an audience, including pre-recorded speech deliver ...

conflict resolution Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of conflict and retribution. Committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information abou ...

, and demonstrations by

SWAT In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...

, K-9, and Bomb Squad units.

Activities

Cadets attend meetings once a week for additional training and other law enforcement-related activities. In addition to meeting weekly, cadets volunteer to assist law enforcement officers in coordinating and securing special activities, or take part in additional training opportunities, including: LAPD Signing up the Cadets

March of Dimes March of Dimes is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. The organization was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to comba ...

*Division Picnics/Holiday Parties * National Night Out *SWAT Fitness Challenge *The

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

Hollywood Christmas Parade The Hollywood Christmas Parade (formerly the Hollywood Santa Parade and Santa Claus Lane Parade) is an annual American parade held on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It follows a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) route al ...

*LA Marathon *Dodgers Nights *Division Vice Operations *Working at Division front desks *Officer oriented training for bike patrol

Controversy

In June 2017, three cadets were arrested after they led police in a car chase using stolen department vehicles, and crashed two of them during the pursuit. Investigators later discovered a ring of cadets had been stealing and using department vehicles and other equipment for at least two months prior to their discovery; ultimately, seven cadets were arrested. During the investigation into the thefts, investigators discovered evidence of a sexual relationship between a fifteen year old female cadet, who was one of the cadets arrested for the theft of department property, and a thirty-one year old police officer, who was subsequently arrested and charged with

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...

. Following the investigation, the sexual assault victim announced her intention to file a suit against the city for negligence.

References

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External links

LAPD Cadets Official Website
Law enforcement in the United States Youth organizations based in California