New Watford police cadets group off to an excellent start

The newly formed Watford Volunteer Police Cadet group has gotten off to a flying start, taking part in some prominent events over the past few weeks.

The group, consisting of 16 young people aged between 13 and 18 years old, came together for their first meeting in mid-September.

On their very first outing, they represented Hertfordshire at the Volunteer Police Cadets 5k colour run and sports day. Despite having only known each other for 16 hours at that point, they won a total of 17 medals in a variety of categories!

Since then, they have participated in a wide range of activities and events including marching on parade at the local remembrance event in the town centre. As part of Remembrance Day, two of the cadets also attended the Watford vs Rotherham football match and did a lap of honour on the pitch at half-time.

The cadets had an input from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Dog Unit, where they had the pleasure of meeting PD Mickey and his handler.

Within their weekly meetings, the group have learnt policing practices such as how to polish their boots and also learnt about hate crimes during National Hate Crime Awareness Week in October.

With all this learning, it was only right for the newly formed recruits to indulge in some pizza along the way and also participate in a games night, enabling cadets to bond.

In November, the constabulary celebrated its annual Chief Constable’s Awards which saw four of the cadets attend to help on the night.

The cadets have also taken part in two local bike marking events, one test purchasing operation and attended the Winterfest event in the town centre where they hosted a stall, marched in the Christmas parade and marshalled the event.

Watford Cadet Leader Stephanie May said: “I am really impressed with how well the cadets have come together and bonded. I am also extremely proud of how they have conducted themselves at some of our big events, including the remembrance parade.

“If you know of a young person who is looking for a new hobby, challenge, or is generally interested in the police, joining the cadets could be a great opportunity. It also looks great on any university or college application form.

“If you’d like any further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us via [email protected].”