By Joseph Knoop
High school students looking to learn what it takes to be a law enforcement officer or emergency services worker can now experience it firsthand in a new program created by the Whitestown Police and Fire Departments.
The Public Safety CADET Program, designed for ages 13 to 18 years old, will give students both an in-class background on police/emergency services while also instructing on-field exercises, including firearms, defensive tactics, interview and report writing, vehicle crash investigation and a variety of emergency medical procedures like CPR.
The program comes as a result of Whitestown’s public safety officer initiative, which trains officers in EMS procedures in addition to standard police training.
“During a time of massive growth, when we’re competing for those public safety dollars, we were looking at how both departments can work together to enhance each other’s abilities, all while providing the community with the best bang for their buck,” Whitestown Police Chief Dennis Anderson said.
The program is also designed to instill important ethical guidelines in students, such as honesty, integrity and fairness in what Anderson said comes as a result of modern political and social issues surrounding police work.
“In the days following September 11, 2001, you saw a unity across this country that we had not experienced for generations, and look at how fast that tide has been turned,” Anderson said. “No longer are the officers revered for all the good that they do. We’re looked upon as being bad, as being unnecessary. That’s not a world I want to live in, and if someone doesn’t take a stand to turn this around, who’s going to?”
The first CADET information meeting will take place Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Public Assembly Hall at the Whitestown Municipal Complex. Attendees are expected to bring their completed applications, which can be printed from whitestownpolice.org or picked up from the Municipal Complex during regular business hours.
