Mayor Lee Relaunches SFPD Cadet Academy
Paid Police Cadet Academy Program Engages Youth in Law Enforcement Career, Builds Community Trust & Recruits Officers that Reflect Diversity of San Francisco
Mayor Edwin M. Lee joined by Police Chief Greg Suhr and Salesforce Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff today announced the relaunch of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Cadet Academy with funding from the City’s general fund and private donations over the next three years. Each SFPD Cadet Academy class will prepare 30-40 students between ages 18-21 to build positive, meaningful relationships with SFPD by working alongside sworn police officers in a variety of assignments across the City.
“The SFPD Cadet Academy provides youth with leadership skills that will lead to a career in law enforcement, build positive relationships between our police officers and youth and keep our communities safe,” said Mayor Lee. “The Cadet Academy would not have been possible without the support and investment from the public-private partnership from Chief Suhr, Marc Benioff and our community partners. We want to make sure that youth feel safe walking down the street in their own neighborhood to school, to the park or wherever they want to go around our City. We want to ensure that more of our sworn police officers reflect the diversity of our City, and San Francisco remains committed to giving our youth the support they need to stop the cycle of violence and provide a path to success.”
“We don’t need to go to some other city or some other state to find the best and the brightest because we have them right here in our community,” said SFPD Chief Suhr. “We need more police officers than ever before and what better way to recruit right from our backyard. Thank you to the Mayor and to Mr. Benioff for funding our SFPD Cadet Academy program to expose our young people to law enforcement in positive ways and be paid for it.”
“Our police, firefighters and other civil servants play a critical role in our community. Without them, the city would not be the amazing place it is today,” said Salesforce Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff. “I am honored to help relaunch the Cadet Academy to mentor and inspire the next generation of police men and women in San Francisco who will protect our city and keep our citizens safe.”
SFPD recently reinstated the paid Police Cadet Academy program, which was used years ago as a way to expose young adults in inner-city neighborhoods to law enforcement. The SFPD Cadet Academy program provides individuals with financial support to continue their educational goal while learning about law enforcement and engaging with officers.
Although the program is open to all young adults, the goal of the SFPD Cadet Academy is to focus on those living in San Francisco’s highest-risk neighborhoods. By engaging the City’s hardest-to-serve young people that have been exposed to long-term and repeated adversity and violence, the SFPD firmly believes law enforcement can play a critical role in interrupting and stopping the cycle of violence by engaging youth early, providing a wide-range of positive activities and providing healthy interaction with various police officers. The SFPD continues to promote multiple approaches to positive interactions including youth employment opportunities working with community partners and keeping them engaged.
The recently relaunched SFPD Cadet Academy is designed to prepare young adults for a career in law enforcement and continue to provide positive interactions between the SFPD and the community. These young men and women will be working alongside and interacting with sworn officers in a variety of assignments. These young adults get to feel what it is like to wear a uniform and be respected by the citizens of San Francisco. For some of these young men and women from high-risk communities, this may be the first time they get to feel appreciated and valued. The SFPD Cadet Academy will expose the individual to many of the different areas of the SFPD, as well as other law enforcement careers. The Cadet program requires participants to be enrolled in college and continue their education.
For more information about the SFPD Cadet Academy and to apply, go to: http://www.sf-police.org/index.aspx?page=1654
“The SFPD Cadet Academy provides youth with leadership skills that will lead to a career in law enforcement, build positive relationships between our police officers and youth and keep our communities safe,” said Mayor Lee. “The Cadet Academy would not have been possible without the support and investment from the public-private partnership from Chief Suhr, Marc Benioff and our community partners. We want to make sure that youth feel safe walking down the street in their own neighborhood to school, to the park or wherever they want to go around our City. We want to ensure that more of our sworn police officers reflect the diversity of our City, and San Francisco remains committed to giving our youth the support they need to stop the cycle of violence and provide a path to success.”
“We don’t need to go to some other city or some other state to find the best and the brightest because we have them right here in our community,” said SFPD Chief Suhr. “We need more police officers than ever before and what better way to recruit right from our backyard. Thank you to the Mayor and to Mr. Benioff for funding our SFPD Cadet Academy program to expose our young people to law enforcement in positive ways and be paid for it.”
“Our police, firefighters and other civil servants play a critical role in our community. Without them, the city would not be the amazing place it is today,” said Salesforce Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff. “I am honored to help relaunch the Cadet Academy to mentor and inspire the next generation of police men and women in San Francisco who will protect our city and keep our citizens safe.”
SFPD recently reinstated the paid Police Cadet Academy program, which was used years ago as a way to expose young adults in inner-city neighborhoods to law enforcement. The SFPD Cadet Academy program provides individuals with financial support to continue their educational goal while learning about law enforcement and engaging with officers.
Although the program is open to all young adults, the goal of the SFPD Cadet Academy is to focus on those living in San Francisco’s highest-risk neighborhoods. By engaging the City’s hardest-to-serve young people that have been exposed to long-term and repeated adversity and violence, the SFPD firmly believes law enforcement can play a critical role in interrupting and stopping the cycle of violence by engaging youth early, providing a wide-range of positive activities and providing healthy interaction with various police officers. The SFPD continues to promote multiple approaches to positive interactions including youth employment opportunities working with community partners and keeping them engaged.
The recently relaunched SFPD Cadet Academy is designed to prepare young adults for a career in law enforcement and continue to provide positive interactions between the SFPD and the community. These young men and women will be working alongside and interacting with sworn officers in a variety of assignments. These young adults get to feel what it is like to wear a uniform and be respected by the citizens of San Francisco. For some of these young men and women from high-risk communities, this may be the first time they get to feel appreciated and valued. The SFPD Cadet Academy will expose the individual to many of the different areas of the SFPD, as well as other law enforcement careers. The Cadet program requires participants to be enrolled in college and continue their education.
For more information about the SFPD Cadet Academy and to apply, go to: http://www.sf-police.org/index.aspx?page=1654