The NOPD has launched a pilot cadet program for juniors and seniors which will hopefully provide a pipeline for new officers or civilians once the cadets graduate from high school.

Today, 18 cadets from the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy went through initial orientation.  Another nine students will be enrolled from Martin Luther King High School in the near future.

The students will actually be paid as part-time civilian employees as they provide various services to the NOPD as well as learn about various aspects of the department including what it's like to be a commissioned officer. 

"While the curriculum is still being developed, we hope to secure partnerships with local colleges and universities and provide a culture that encourages the students to join the NOPD either as civilians or recruits upon graduation from high school," says NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.

The NOPD began developing this program in the summer of 2023 under Interim Superintendent Michelle Woodfork.

While the program aims to be an important tool in recruitment, it offers NOPD the chance to invest in our young people and the community.

This is the first such cadet program offered by the NOPD in several decades.  Students will actually begin their training after the holidays.