TWENTY AIRPORT POLICE CADETS GRADUATE LAPD CADET ACADEMY

(Los Angeles, California – December 14, 2012) Twenty Los Angeles Airport Police cadets, ranging in ages 13 to 19, will graduate from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Cadet Academy Program.  The cadets will be sworn in during a ceremony beginning 11 a.m. on Sunday, December 16, at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center, 3400 Figueroa Street, Los Angeles.

            The cadets will be assigned to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where they will rotate among various unit assignments within the Airport Police Division and throughout the airport.  These assignments will provide the cadets with the opportunity to learn many aspects of airport policing, as well as to develop leadership skills.  Among the assignments, cadets will experience dealing with different law-enforcement situations, assisting with traffic control during periods of congestion or at accident scenes, assisting with security details, and providing information and directions to the general public.          

“It is an honor to introduce our new team of cadets who will become a part of the Airport Police family and to have this platform to mentor tomorrow’s leaders,” said Airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon.  The cadets graduating from the LAPD Cadet Program attend a variety of elementary, middle and high schools throughout California; and has aspirations ranging from being a law-enforcement officer and doctor to an engineer and bio-chemist to name a few.

The Airport Police Cadet Program is open to youths between the ages of 13 and 20.  The goal of the program is to help instill the values of leadership, academic excellence, life skills and discipline into participants.  The program also seeks to empower students with the skills to maximize personal, scholastic and life potential as well as provide insights into law-enforcement careers.

Selected cadets attend an 18-week program at the LAPD Ahmanson Recruit Training Center in Los Angeles.  Through academics, physical training and drill, cadets develop teamwork, learn leadership skills and a variety of basic law-enforcement skills they can apply as cadets, as well as in their everyday lives.

The Los Angeles Airport Police is the fourth largest law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County with more than 1,100 law enforcement, security and staff personnel.  Los Angeles Airport Police is a division of Los Angeles World Airports, the City department that own and operates three airports in Southern California: LAX, LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys (general aviation).