Police cadets: ‘it’s up to us to draw the best out of them’

10 June 2025

Federation trustee Winston Christie is urging members to get involved with the guidance and growth of young people as he gives an insight to the West Midlands Police cadet programme.

The programme has been active in its current iteration since 2017 with Winston joining later that year. It has recently restructured its curriculum and geographical set-up.

Winston is the leader of the programme’s Stetchford unit – one of 12 across the Force area – where he is responsible for the delivery of both policing expertise and wider life skills to teenagers aged between 13 and 17.

Core engagement for the cadets comes through weekly learning sessions covering everything from Force drill routines to preparing for job interviews.

Winston (left) joined by Prince Edward and other cadet leaders at the
launch of Youth Organisations in Uniform West Midlands in September 2021.

“I would summarise the cadets as policing’s opportunity to give something to the community, outside of the obvious things it will always do. It’s our chance to pass on our knowledge and skills to the young people we serve,” Winston said.

“And I think, as such a visible public service, there is a responsibility for us to do that. So when I saw a programme becoming established in the West Midlands, I didn’t think twice about wanting to play my part.

“Above anything else, we want to connect with young people. We want them to know there is something out there they can regularly come to and belong to, gaining self-belief, discipline and friendship.

“By doing this, we are giving them a set of qualities and experiences they could have altogether missed out on if we weren’t around.”

Engagement events

In addition to curriculum content every week, police cadets can also access real-world development opportunities by getting outside on Force department visits, orienteering missions and community engagement events.

Previous activities have included food bank deliveries and supporting Birmingham’s hosting of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, with some programme members going on to become High Sheriff’s cadets, performing high-level functions including award ceremonies.

“We want to teach them, equip them and test them,” Winston added, “With the drill routines, for example, they don’t always see why it has to be so regimented at first. But then they realise there is method in the madness – they gain a level of discipline that will serve them well for whatever they go on to do in life.

“And for me, as a leader, it’s all about role modelling. Some of them might not have a role model at home in the same way they do in the cadets, so part of my responsibility is showing them life needs hard work and self-belief.

“Once they come into our programme, it’s up to us to draw the best out of them.”

Winston, who has been a West Midlands Police Federation trustee for seven years, was drawn on the prospect of cadets later becoming police officers, having benefited from their time in the programme.

Special Constables

While maintaining the system should never be seen as a ‘recruitment tool’, he revealed it has seen young people over the last eight years go on to join the Force as both regular cops and Special Constables.

Meanwhile, plenty of cadets have returned to the fold as adult leaders and coordinators/instructors – roles, he points out, which are also open to anyone within policing.

“Our young people go on to do all sorts, and as long we know they have developed from year one to year four in the programme, we are happy,” he said, “But seeing them join the police or come back to the cadets as adults is particularly pleasing, I must admit.

“I would strongly urge anyone in the Force to get involved with the running of the cadets, if they think it might be for them. We can always use more inputs to deliver the best possible experience to our members – it’s one of many structures which simply couldn’t be maintained without volunteers.

“I think the cadets really exemplifies those Peelian principles around the police being the public, and the public being the police. If you want to take your commitment to that idea even further, joining us is the perfect way to do it,” he ended.

Federation members interested in supporting the West Midlands Police cadets or finding out more information can contact the Force’s citizens in policing manager.