Submitted Photo Sgt. Jared Foley, of the Minot Police Department, mentors cadets who are interested in careers in law enforcement. Facing the front is Hannah Witmer, cadet commander.

The Minot Public Safety Cadets program is a regional initiative for students aged 14-21 who are interested in a law enforcement career. The program aims to prepare young individuals for a future in law enforcement through training, mentorship and community service.

Sgt. Jared Foley has been a cadet mentor and the program leader for the last 12 years. The program started as the explorers program through the Boy Scouts but later expanded to what it is today.

Some cadets may graduate from the program and go into the military or law enforcement, however, others end up moving on and finding a job in an unrelated field. “What I tell kids when they join is that I don’t care if you want to be a police officer, a firefighter, a doctor or a dentist – you could go on and fix cars. But this program exposes them to the job in some form and allows them to recognize, ‘Oh, these guys and gals are people, right? They’re just normal people with jobs and they have feelings,'” Foley said.

Cadet commander Hannah Witmer has been involved with the program for the last two and a half years, “Through some research I found the program and I’ve always been interested in law enforcement. Once I found out this was offered here in Minot it was pretty much a no-brainer,” she said.

She sits at the top student rank and has previously earned the title of Cadet of the Year. With the help of the student captain, two lieutenants and a few sergeants, they oversee the post to ensure everything is running as it should be.

“I’ve learned how to lead in that aspect and really guide the younger ones and show them what I’ve learned – how to take charge in situations,” she said.

Witmer enjoys interacting face-to-face with the general public, primarily through traffic stops. She said although they may seem minor, it’s an everyday operation.

“You can make a good impression or a bad impression – just getting to learn people in your community through that aspect has been nice through ride-alongs,” she said.

Witmer has an impressive combined 297 hours of ride-alongs with the Minot Police Department and Ward County Sheriff’s office.

Though she has been highly involved with the program she has decided to pursue a job outside of law enforcement and is currently training to be an emergency medical technician.

“I have the utmost respect for police and I’m super interested in law enforcement, but I don’t know if that’s the path I’m going to go down. Throughout my ride-alongs, I have come in contact many times with the community ambulance here and seeing how they work – that really sparked my interest … You’ll grow in this program – in your opportunities. If you decide not to go this route, like I have, those leadership skills, those community connections, are going to do nothing but help you in your adulthood,” Witmer said.

Submitted Photo
Range shooting is one way safety cadets have the opportunity to engage with hands-on activities that relate to careers in law enforcement.