Conservative Candidate Proposes New Police Cadet Force for Staffordshire

The Conservative candidate who hopes to become Staffordshire’s first ever Police & Crime Commissioner has today announced plans, if he is elected, to establish a new Police Cadet Force to engage with young people and help set them up to meet life’s future challenges.

Matthew Ellis believes the new voluntary service, which would be uniformed, could develop better links between the main Police Service and young people as well as local communities.

He said, “We need to do more to forge links between younger members of society and the Police Service.  Developing police cadets would create new interest in policing amongst the younger community as well as improving life skills in order to be good, well-engaged citizens.

“A new young uniformed service could instil confidence, a sense of purpose as well as discipline and added self worth.  All this while getting a real insight into what the police do and why they do it.”

It is envisaged that the new service would cover ages of 10 years old through to 18 and would be closely linked to improving career opportunities through accreditations and NVQs to help employment prospects as well as possible future entry into Special Constabulary and policing roles.  The new service could also be used by public sector and criminal justice bodies to help divert individuals away from anti social activities and potential criminality in some cases.

Mr Ellis says the proposals would be funded mainly through a corporate responsibility fund with businesses in Staffordshire contributing.

“There is significant interest from corporate business in this proposal.  Big companies are more conscious than ever before that they need to do more in supporting ideas that are socially responsible and beneficial to Staffordshire communities.  And the fact that policing is an integral part of our everyday lives has really caught their imagination.