Volunteer Police Cadets: building bridges after the knife crime epidemic

Amid the recent wave of knife and gun crime on Britain’s streets, relations between police and local communities have rarely been under such scrutiny. And there are growing calls to strengthen neighbourhood policing and build trust. That is one of the roles being played by the Volunteer Police Cadets, an organisation that encourages teenagers from diverse backgrounds to connect with the police.

Leroy Logan is a former Metropolitan Police superintendent who joined up in the 1980s, and set up one of the very first cadet units. Thirty years later, 16-year-old Shacquor Smithen is one such cadet – with plans to join the force.