Super-mum sergeant tells how she juggles work with volunteering as police cadet leader

26 May 2022

A sergeant with a passion for passing on her knowledge of the Force has told how she has spent the past three years juggling work along with volunteering as a police cadet leader at her son’s unit.

Dawn Twomey, who has been working for West Midlands Police for the past 17 years, says it is the enthusiasm and commitment of the cadet members that keeps her enthusiasm for volunteering alive.

Jake, her 14-year-old son, is one of the troops and hopes to follow in his mum’s footsteps with his sight set on pursuing a career in forensics.

“I wanted to pass on my experience and knowledge of the police to younger generations and potentially future officers,” said Dawn, “And that includes Jake. I’ve always been very wary about how much he knows about what I do, but this way, he can get a real insight into the Force, without it scaring him.”

Dawn, who volunteers with the cadets of the Solihull branch once every week for two hours, admits she is regularly rushing between her shifts and meetings.

The unit has around 30 members who have had opportunities to go out with police officers, as well as hear about different roles such as firearms and dog handler teams.

Dawn has been a leader for the past three years, with Jake becoming a cadet around seven months ago and now she says the troop is like an ‘extended family, with most of the members even calling her ‘Mum’ now.

“A lot of these cadets come from some sort of challenging background but yet, every single one of them turns up, week-in-week-out,” says Dawn, who explained that even during lockdown, the troop held virtual sessions for members to attend.

“It’s their dedication to cadets, their commitment, and their want to be there and engage - that’s what keeps me volunteering.

“The more I’m there, the more I love it. It’s so rewarding.”

Dawn says that a huge part of her role is to build bridges between the police and the community, and more specifically, younger people.

“Being able to meet with these youngsters every week definitely helps us develop a positive relationship between them and the Force. I hope I’m helping to change the perception of the police too – not just for them, but the cadets share what they’ve learned with their family and friends too, it’s like a ripple effect,” added Dawn.

“We, as police, get a lot from the sessions too. The cadets are quite happy to tell me about their opinions of the Force and the current challenges we’re facing – and they don’t hold back, on the good and the bad.

“We ask for their feelings on issues like knife crime and get important feedback on how we can approach and engage with younger generations as police officers.

“Building those relationships and seeing the cadets progress, that’s what makes this role so rewarding for me.”