Call for police cadet force to be set up in Northern Ireland: Equivalent to bodies found in England and Wales would appeal to 'thousands of young people from both sides of the community', says MP

One MP certainly thinks so, with DUP man Jim Shannon calling for the PSNI to set up an official cadet force.

Although police cadets exist in England and Wales, with an equivalent Scottish organisation called the Police Youth Volunteers, there’s no such body in Northern Ireland.

Cadet groups do run for different wings of the armed forces, but the province lacks the law enforcement version found in mainland Britain.

For example, all of the police forces in England and Wales have a youth cadet branch, teaching teens aged 13 to 18 about powers and procedures as well as citizenship, discipline, first aid and leadership skills.

Cadet teams also take part in community events such as charity marathons and Remembrance Day, stage parades, and can assist police officers in low-risk activities.

Mr Shannon thinks they’d make a great addition to community life in Ulster, and recently met with Justice Minister Naomi Long to push for a pilot scheme testing the water for a PSNI-linked cadet force.

“Being familiar with the Army Cadet scheme and those of the Air Force and the Royal Navy, I know that these schemes are extremely successful in Northern Ireland,” he said. “They have literally thousands of young people involved from both sides of the community, and that augers well for the future.

“A similar scheme for a police cadet force could prove to be just as popular.

“I have written to PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boucher to raise the issue, and I have spoken to DUP colleagues who I know have also been working on the idea to raise it at the Northern Ireland Policing Board."

Mr Shannon believes his own backyard would be the ideal testing ground for a pilot scheme, arguing it should be tried out in the Ards and North Down Council area that overlaps with his Strangford constituency.

Describing the district as “a strong home” for the PSNI, he said: “I do feel that now is the time to start a police cadet organisation and that it should be piloted in the Ards and North Down area, where such a scheme would be welcomed and encouraged.

“I have also asked also liaised with my local police force and know that, if they had capacity, they would wish to do more educational and physical visits to schools to raise the profile of the PSNI across the province.

“The meeting with the minister was most productive. I’m keen to see a police cadet scheme processed as part of the vision for policing in Northern Ireland, and I look forward to some progress on this.”

In England and Wales, cadet groups usually meet once a week as an extra-curricular activity, as well as taking part in many volunteering activities on weekends and during school holidays. Participation can also count toward Duke of Edinburgh Award criteria.

Membership of police cadet forces doesn’t guarantee employment, with bodies stating their purpose isn’t to recruit young people as future officers but instead to encourage the spirit of adventure, teamwork and good citizenship.

Originally cadets were frontline employees in their late teens, who were given academic and physical training before becoming probationary constables. From the late 1980s, the system was massively reworked into its current community-based volunteer version.