The Brockton Police Department is offering a new opportunity for residents to learn about a career in law enforcement.
Police Sergeant Kevin Amaral is overseeing the first-ever cadet programs for the department, which includes full-time pay and benefits.
“We’re here to teach people what we do, and what we don’t do,” said Amaral. “Community service is a big part of policing. We want people involved, we want to show them what we do in the community. It’s not about just going out and arresting people. There is a lot more to policing than just that.”
The program is geared towards Brockton residents between 18 and 23 years old, residents in the city for at least five years, with a high school diploma or GED. Cadets may receive preference on the civil service exam.
Cadets would receive CPR/first responder training, assist with fleet maintenance, and community events.
“The cadets, they can go on ride-alongs one day, the next day they’ll help us out with research during an investigation, they could be helping us out in records,” said Amaral. “They could help out answering 911 calls, dispatch, many things that we want them to help us do.”
The first-ever junior cadet program has been formed, where teenagers from 14 to 16 can join. This is an unpaid program, but there will be two sessions from August 9-13 and August 16-20.
“We’re trying to get a curriculum that’s more hands-on, we don’t want them just sitting in a classroom getting bored. We don’t want death by Power Point,” said Amaral. “We’re looking to have a more hands-on approach. That’s why we’re looking to do CPR/first aid training, a water safety segment, and various other things.”
More information and applications can be found here.
