KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Aspiring police officers have a chance to get some experience patrolling the city and performing basic duties in Knoxville. Through the Knoxville Police Department's cadet program, people hoping to pursue a career in law enforcement can see what it's like to serve first-hand.
"I've been a police cadet for two years now. I started back in 2022. It's been a really fun time," said Patrick Venable, a cadet. "I've always wanted to be a police officer. I was also a police explorer. So, I started that at the age of 16, and then, when I turned 18, I became a police cadet right out of high school."
He said he expects the experience he gets as a cadet will help him transition into a full-time career as a police officer. Before people can become police officers, they need to be 21 years old and go through the police academy.
The cadet program is open to people at least 18 years old. After completing cadet training, participants are put on assignments like bicycle patrols, traffic control at special events, parking enforcement and sobriety checkpoints. They also take part in on-duty physical fitness training.
"You kinda get your foot in the door with law enforcement. You get to go on different ride-alongs with officers. So, you kind of get to see what the job is before you actually start the job," said Venable.
He said he plans to graduate as a cadet later this year and will join the ranks of KPD shortly after. It's a path several people take, including Hayden Marshall, a KPD police officer. He said he's grateful for his time with the cadet program.
"I got to ride with K-9 officers, with neighborhood bike officers, with patrol officers, and I just go to see how much good those officers got to do in the community. And, I decided that was really something I wanted to do," he said.
He said Venable would follow in the footsteps of people like him.
"I actually was able to train Patrick as an explorer, and he's done several ride-alongs with me as a cadet. And I'm really excited to see him go through the academy to be a patrol officer," said Marshall.