Cadets honoured for all their hard work

The group of teenagers, who are aged between 13 and 18, and have given up their time as volunteers during the past year, were handed awards during a celebration evening at Parkside Community School.

Caitlin Bramley picked up the area’s Police Cadet of the Year award and will go on to be shortlisted for the Derbyshire Police Cadet of the Year award, which is due to be given out in the late autumn.

She faced competition from fellow nominees James Cantrill, Kat Terry and Chloe Parkes.

Individual certificates of achievement were also given out to Callum Spey, Nicole Lander, Charlotte GIbbions, Rian Hurst-Tailby, Alice Tremble, Emily Plummer, Naomi Eyre and Nathan Middleton for making significant progress during the academic year.

Since September 2015 the group have had sessions on a variety of elements of police work including first aid, handcuffing, the caution, pocket notebooks, missing person enquiries, uniform, drill, verbal logical reasoning, search training, radio training, map reading and using a breathalyser.

They have also had a presentation by a dog handler, taken the police fitness test, been involved in several crime prevention initiatives, helped with the policing of a football match, assisted during the High Sherriff’s reception and taken an oath in front of chief officers.

The group represented Derbyshire in a national cadet competition and won, and enjoyed a few days camping at Spitewinter.

PC Dave Wilson is one of the co-ordinators for the cadet scheme in Chesterfield. He said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to be involved with this year’s volunteer cadet programme and the cadets have done themselves, their families, Derbyshire Constabulary, and most of all the public very proud.

“Caitlin, our local Police Cadet of the Year, has demonstrated all the qualities that we look for and excels regularly with her openness to change, professionalism and skills in working with others, decision making and service delivery. She will no doubt make a fine police officer should she choose to apply to join in the future.”