As the 2023-2024 school year nears an end, the CHS School Resource Officers (SROs) are offering students the opportunity to participate in police training this summer through the Carmel Cadets program.

According to Greg Zimmerman, Master Patrol Officer, SRO and Carmel Cadet adviser, the Cadet program is a great way for high school students to learn about the police force and all they do for the Carmel community.

“(The) Carmel Cadets are basically a program the Carmel Police Department has set up to allow high schoolers to gain insight into police training,” Zimmerman said. “High schoolers are chosen for membership and then participate in an eight-month police academy training program, (where) they receive exposure to various police duties. After they complete academy training, recruits shadow a police officer for a day to observe. (Additionally), cadets are expected to participate in various community events and functions throughout the year.”

Marcus Grethen, current Carmel Cadet and sophomore, said his experience with the Carmel Cadet program gave him good decision making skills and helped him serve the community.

“I really enjoyed (Carmel Cadets) as it has taught me valuable service skills and has made me a better decision maker and problem-solver,” Grethen said. “Right now, we’re learning about field sobriety which is the test police officers conduct when they think a person has been drinking and driving. It’s a really serious (problem) and becoming more knowledgeable about it will definitely help me in the future.”

According to John Fike, Master Patrol Officer, SRO and Carmel Cadet Adviser, the Carmel Cadet program focuses on teaching high schoolers important life lessons as well as lessons about police duties.

“In the (Carmel Cadet) program we want to empower youth to be better citizens and be responsible grown-ups. We do this by teaching them the importance of safe and careful living through our planned lessons,” Fike said. “At our most recent meeting, we discussed field sobriety and we taught students about how to conduct sobriety tests. This helped them understand the process while also teaching them about the dangers of distracted driving, especially driving while intoxicated.”

Carmel Cadets is open to all high school students interested in the police force. To sign up, contact an advisor at [email protected].