NCJ Number
142457
Date Published
Unknown
Length
9 pages
Annotation
In March 1989, the author surveyed 48 medium-sized police departments in California to identify trends in the use of police cadet programs; of those surveyed, 64 percent responded.
Abstract
The most significant survey question in terms of the recruitment issue concerned the percentage of cadets successfully completing probation as sworn officers. Nearly all responding agencies reported a success rate of between 80 and 100 percent for cadets who went on to become sworn officers. Cadets helped to relieve the manpower shortage in various ways, such as assisting desk officers, taking desk reports, answering telephones, helping investigators manage their caseloads, and even taking police reports in the field. The author concludes that police cadet programs may be one of the best recruitment tools available to law enforcement. Many cadet programs have evolved into fairly complex programs, and most require cadets to continue their formal education as a condition of employment. In addition, some law enforcement agencies hire police cadets while they are still in high school. A discussion of police recruitment in general and a history of police cadet programs are provided. 5 references