The Los Angeles Police Department Cadet Program, known informally as the LAPD Cadets, is a cadet program run and sponsored by the Los Angeles Police Department for youth aged 13 to 20. The cadet program is similar in nature to the police explorer programs that are present in many police departments through the Learning for Life 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 regional divisions as well as specialized divisions including the Metropolitan Division and the communications division and as of 2014 there were 5,000 cadets.
History
The LAPD program was formerly associated with Learning for Life, but it was withdrawn from the program and reorganized as an independent organization in 2007 after the police commission broke off their partnership with the Boy Scouts of America 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 21, maintain a 2.0 grade point average, have no serious criminal record, obtain a medical examination, procure a letter of recommendation, and complete the cadet academy.
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:
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. Following the investigation, the sexual assault victim announced her intention to file a suit against the city for negligence.
