On Saturday, April 24, the Los Angeles Police Department held its inaugural Cadet Corps graduation ceremony at the Elysian Park Police Academy.

The class was the first group of cadets graduating from the LAPD’s newly formed program that places strong emphasis on discipline, leadership, academic excellence and life-skills.

Participants in the program were between 14 and 20 years old, are in good academic standing and come from regions across the City.

The ceremony, whch was attended by more than 1,000 cadets, family members and friends, and law enforcement officers, honored 175 graduating cadets.

During the 14-week academy term, the cadets received instruction in law enforcement principles, traffic enforcement, crime scene investigation, cultural diversity, laws and arrests, and gangs and narcotics.

Additionally, students received training in the Josephson Institute’s “Six Pillars of Character,” a character development series, along with a youth version of Toastmasters, which is an eight-week course for students to become better communicators and leaders through practical experience.

These newest graduates now join over 3,000 current Cadet Corps participants who volunteer in their neighborhoods and schools throughout the City and seek to improve their lives by being leaders in their communities.