Cadet Unit

Phone: (661) 392-6066

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Cadet Unit is a program designed to provide young men and women between the ages of 15 and 20 years with an insight into the world of law enforcement. The Cadet program is established through the Public Safety Cadets.

The first Sheriff's Office Explorer Post (#919) was established in 1960 under Sheriff LeRoy Galyen. Post #919 operated until 1967.

In 1973, the Sheriff's Office again sought to sponsor an Explorer Post, however, #919 had been reassigned. The new Post was #519; Post #519 has been in use up until 2021. Keeping with the tradition of mentoring the youth of our community, the Sheriff’s Office looked for opportunities to expand the insight and experiences the members of the Explorer Post gained. In 2021, Explorer Post #519 joined the Public Safety Cadet program, becoming Cadet Unit #519. This change was to give the Cadets a more thorough view of public safety. Although the Public Safety Cadets was formed with a law enforcement centric career focus, there is a view for future development of other public safety career sectors to include Fire-Rescue, Emergency Medical Services, Corrections, Cyber and Forensic Sciences as well as Critical Incident Management.

The intent of Public Safety Cadets is mentoring young adults to serve their communities by providing knowledge, skills and practical experiences through education and training delivered by public safety professionals that build character, physical fitness and respect for the rule of law. The Cadet Unit is guided by several mentors who are members of the Sheriff's Office. The mentors share their abilities and experiences with the Cadets to produce a high quality young adult of whom the Sheriff's Office and the community can be proud.

Members of the Cadet Unit are afforded the opportunity to observe firsthand the efforts of Sheriff's Office personnel. Members are able to participate in many departmental functions, such as patrol, communications, and detentions. They also participate in community functions including the Kern County Fair, child identification, and food drives to name a few. The Cadets volunteer several hundred hours a month to the Sheriff's Office. Members of the Cadet Unit wear a modified uniform to distinguish them from deputies; Cadets are not allowed to carry weapons. Cadets also wear an additional shoulder patch that identifies them as a Cadet.