Celebration of young police cadet volunteers making a difference in their communities

The valuable contribution provided by police cadet volunteers has been highlighted at a special event at Devon and Cornwall Police headquarters.

The event at Middlemoor in Exeter saw 100 cadets and 30 cadet leaders, including those from Barnstaple, recognised for their efforts and for giving up their free time to support the police officers in making communities safer.

It was held just before the start of National Volunteers Week, which runs throughout this week from June 3 to June 8.

The young people aged between 13 and 17-years-old were welcomed by Deputy Chief Constable Dave Thorne and Assistant Chief Officer Alexis Poole, who both acknowledged the importance of cadets in policing and celebrated their achievements.

Becoming a cadet comes with very real duties and over the past year they have supported Neighbourhood Policing teams by taking part in test purchasing operations, provided a visible presence at key community engagement events, distributed crime prevention leaflets, supported Community Speed Watch teams and organised first aid training for young people.

Above: The police cadets who visited Middlemoor also had a surprise visit from the National Police Air Service and learned more about the helicopter’s role in policing. Credit: DCP

Katie Kwidzinski, strategic lead for Devon and Cornwall Police Cadets, said: “The day was all about celebrating our amazing Volunteer Police Cadets and all they contribute to our organisation and their communities.

“The cadets support the force with social action, community engagement, supporting neighbourhood policing, sharing important personal safety messaging and advocating for other children and young people.

“Operational teams and police staff dedicated time and resources to celebrate the cadets and provide them with important information and insights into a variety of careers in policing.

“It was an amazing day that left us all feeling very proud of our cadets and our incredible volunteer cadet leaders.”

As part of the day, the cadets were entertained by a display from general Purpose police dog Gus and explosives search dog Lulu, before learning about police drones and posing for a photo taken from above.

They also shared their views, ideas and experiences with officers using the ‘Youth Voice Corner’ and then took part in a team-building competition, before a surprise visit from the National Police Air Service (NPAS) who brought their helicopter and educated the group about the value NPAS brings to policing, especially in the cases of high-risk missing persons.

Devon and Cornwall Police currently has more than 450 Volunteer Police Cadets, based at 12 active cadet units, with the unit at Bodmin set to re-open this year.

Volunteer Police Cadet schemes are open to young people aged 13 to 18 years old. Anyone interested in becoming a police cadet can find out more on the volunteer police cadet website at https://vpc.police.uk/be-a-cadet