Cadet Program

The goals of the Cobb County Police Cadet Program are to educate youth in police operations, to interest them in a possible career in law enforcement, and to build confidence and valuable leadership skills for the future.

Contact:

Officer Andy Higgins, Post Advisor
(770) 528-8388

Through education and training, we will provide our cadets with inside knowledge of law enforcement and its functions in the community.

The Cadet Program seeks to establish an awareness of the complexities of police service and provide young adults an opportunity to witness and experience the kind of commitment and passion is needed to be a police officer.

The Law Enforcement Cadet Program will provide the Cadet with a basic knowledge of the field of law enforcement. Cadets will receive instruction in many aspects relating to law enforcement including criminal law, traffic law, criminal investigation, crime prevention, traffic control and direction, accident investigation, juvenile delinquency, and other related fields.

The Law Enforcement Exploring program has three main themes:

• To further the cadet’s education relating to law enforcement skills and operations;
• To encourage the cadet’s participation in a rewarding and productive service of activities;
• To prepare the cadets for life challenges, for roles as citizens, community leaders, and future law enforcement careers.

The Cobb County Police Cadet Post #5 seeks to recruit qualified youth applicants that meet the strict standards set forth by our police department. Potential applicants are required to complete a detailed application.

Applicants will be required to submit a cadet application in order to be considered for membership in the program.

• Applicants must attend three consecutive meetings before being given an application packet.
• Following the receipt of the application, the applicant is subject to an oral interview before a panel not to exceed three Cadet Officers, Post Advisor and/or Cadet Advisor.
• Potential applicants are required to attend regular meetings during the application process.

• Applicants must be at least fourteen years old and in high school, and may remain in the program until the age of twenty-one.
• Cadets are expected to maintain a satisfactory G.P.A. in school, being a 2.0 or higher.
• Applicants are subject to an extensive background investigation. Any criminal arrest or detainment may be grounds for dismissal or rejection of application.
• Maintain a level of fitness that allows them to perform their duties effectively.
• No affiliation or former affiliation with any gangs, cults, or organized crime.
• Be in good standing with the Public Safety Cadet National Program, and the Cobb County Police Department. This program is not for troubled youth.
• Be willing to volunteer your time to participate with events, details, and competitions.
• Have a good moral character and possess integrity.

Upon acceptance into the program, new members of Post #5 will undergo a probationary phase for a period of six months. All new members will be required to attend all post meetings during their probationary phase, unless excused by a Post Advisor or Cadet Advisor.

Any unexcused absence deemed by any Advisor will result in termination from the Post. New members must demonstrate a commitment to the program by attending six consecutive meetings before they will be issued uniforms and gear. During the probation period, each new member is subject to dismissal for violations of the policy manual, any violation of the Georgia Criminal Code, and/or county ordinances. This includes alcohol, drug, and traffic violations.

Cadets are expected to maintain a higher standard of conduct than their peers. Advisors have exclusive authority to terminate a cadet for behavioral issues, failure to uphold post standards, any negative contact with police, or other general misconduct.

Why Join

The Law Enforcement Cadet Program brings the Cadet into direct contact with police officers through meetings, details, social functions, and a ride-along program. Cadets can make their public service tangible among members of the community, especially members in their age bracket. This provides a link between the police and the youth and between the youth and the community.

Cadets are not sworn officers and can not replace law enforcement personnel; however, they can be used to supplement them. Cadets can free up officers to concentrate on the most important aspects of their jobs. Qualified members of the Cobb County Cadet Post can participate in the Ride-Along Program, a privilege that allows for real-world experience of law enforcement on the street.

Through their experience, cadets learn and practice leadership skills similar to police personnel, including a rank structure. Cadets in leadership positions learn the realities of being responsible for all of their subordinate’s achievements and short falls. Cobb County’s post requires that the cadet supervisors must hold themselves to the highest standards and establish a strong leadership base through leadership skills including: Motivating peers, delegating assignments, and taking disciplinary action.

Cadets contribute many hours of their personal lives during their participation in the Cadet Program. When they leave, they can reflect back and take pride in the fact that they have made a significant contribution to the welfare of their community.

Frequently community organizations call upon Cadets to assist with security, crowd control, traffic direction, youth education, and crime prevention programs. Community service is strongly encouraged. Cadets are not used in situations that put them in jeopardy or that require police authority. However, they are used to assist the community under the close direction and supervision of police officers.

Cobb County Police Cadet Post #5 will hold regular scheduled meetings. Each meeting will begin with roll call and uniform inspection. Meetings will involve classroom training and practical scenarios.

Cobb County Police Cadet Post #5 will meet every Thursday night from 6 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. during the school year.

The Post will meet from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. during the summer break.

Meetings will be held at:

Cobb County Police Department
Training Academy
2435 East-West Connector
Austell, GA 30106

Times, dates, and locations are subject to change.

Training

Training will consist of Leadership Skills, Drug Prevention and Identification, Self-Defense Tactics, and a variety of other law enforcement subject areas to include:

• Crime Prevention
• Criminal Law
• Domestic Intervention
• Crime Scene Investigation
• Firearms Safety/Marksmanship
• History of Law Enforcement
• Patrol Procedures
• Traffic and Crowd Control

The Post Advisor, Cadet Advisor, or the Cadet Chief will schedule training events and take suggestions for future training.

Attendance

Cadets are required to punctually attend all meetings and participate in all training that is offered by the Cobb County Police Cadet Program. Cadets take part in several competitions throughout the year which require active participation and knowledge taught during training. Any cadet who fails to be active with the group as determined by unanimous decision from the Post Advisor and the Cadet Advisor(s) would result in disciplinary action, exclusion from competition, or termination from the Post.

The Cobb County Police Cadets were established in May 2004, to help the young people in our community pursue their interest in law enforcement.

We strongly believe that providing a law enforcement exploring program for the youth of Cobb County gives them the chance to develop life skills, leadership experience, and to learn the importance of community service.

Our cadet post welcomes young adults between the ages of 14 and 21 years old who are interested in law enforcement and may want to pursue a career as a police officer. This program focuses mainly on law enforcement, giving special emphasis on the development of responsibility, discipline, and the importance of integrity. In addition, cadets are provided training in many aspects of law enforcement, including criminal law, domestic violence, crime-in-progress, traffic stops, defensive tactics, DUI enforcement, and many others. Our Cadets participate in several competitions throughout the year where they will compete with other metro-area exploring posts in a variety of police related scenarios.

As a Cobb County Cadet you are required to attend weekly training meetings and scheduled community events. Our Cadets are often called upon to contribute time to help assist during community relations events. Through this experience, cadets develop and practice leadership skills similar to police personnel. Cadets that are accepted into the program must understand the commitment that is required as well as the expectation of a higher standard of conduct than their peers. Any deviation from this standard will result in dismissal from the program.

The Cobb County Police Cadet Post will always seek excellence. All of the advisors are P.O.S.T. Certified police officers with years of experience serving Cobb County. As representatives of the Cobb County Police Department we expect the best from our cadets and will not settle for any less. The advisors are very proud to serve in the Cobb County Police Department. We expect the Cobb County Cadets to understand that as they wear the uniform of Cobb County there is an expectation for a high level of professionalism, discipline, and respect for the advisors, fellow cadets and everyone they come into contact with.

We take the role of being mentors to future law enforcement officers seriously, but we will also have a lot of fun. Special events, such as cookouts, rappelling trips, laser tag, and team building outings are just some of the outside events we offer our cadets. We train hard and we play hard. We look forward to working closely with each of the cadets.

The Cobb County Police Cadet Post #5, actively participates in three major competitions a year. The three major events are Winterfest, which is held in Gatlinburg, TN in January, the Cadet State Competition in April (hosting agency), and the Metro Atlanta Competition for Explorers (M.A.C.E.) in October. Currently the Post is seeking to raise funds to attend the National Cadet Competition annually.

2018

The Cobb County Police Cadets competed in the fifteenth annual Metro Atlanta Championship for Explorers (MACE) on Saturday, October 13, 2018. This year's event was held at the North Georgia Central Law Enforcement Academy and was attended by sixteen different agencies. Eight Cobb Police Cadets were divided into two teams and competed in seven different scenarios including officer survival, felony traffic stop, and warrant service.

This was the tenth consecutive year that Cobb County Police Cadets have won the championship.

• 1st Place Overall (Team 1)
• 2nd Place Overall (Team 2)