Youth cadet program at Virginia State Police academy

High school students from across the Commonwealth experienced life as a Virginia State Police Trainee last week, according to a VSP news release.

On July 22 they became the 27th generation of the Youth Cadet Law Enforcement Training Program, which is co-sponsored by the Virginia State Police and The American Legion. At a ceremony held at the Virginia State Police Academy in Chesterfield County, the teens were presented their graduation certificates.
       
The Youth Cadet Law Enforcement Training program is a weeklong training curriculum for high school students who have completed their junior year. Cadets experience a life similar to a trooper-in-training, complete with daily room inspections and instruction by state police troopers on Department operations, crime scene investigations, officer survival, undercover operations, driver improvement, scuba training, defensive tactics and firearms safety.

The 42 students who participated also had the opportunity to meet with Governor Terry McAuliffe and get a tour of the Executive Mansion and State Capitol, the news release stated.

As part of their training, the cadets also undergo a variety of physical agility exercises used in the Virginia State Police applicant testing process.

Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent, was quoted in the news release as saying, “What better way for a young person interested in a law enforcement career to experience first-hand if this is a calling they want to pursue. It’s a valuable experience which not only gives them instruction and training from our Academy staff and provides a sample of the training a Virginia State Trooper undergoes, but it’s also a positive way for our Department to interact with today’s youth.”

No Prince William County, Manaassas or Manassas Park teens were enrolled in the program, according to the news release.