GREENFIELD — Young people across Franklin County who are interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement can now join the Franklin County Police Cadet Program to learn everything from leadership skills to drone use.

The program began in April through the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and is currently hosting 24 cadets. Starting in 2025, it will run for the entire year. The program meets every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Greenfield Community College and ventures to other locations, including for field trips to places such as ropes courses.

“A cadet program like this is exactly how I got started,” Franklin County Sheriff Christopher Donelan explained. “I was a junior in high school when they started a program like this at my high school and it opened my eyes to policing. … From my personal perspective, the fact that I was introduced to police work through a program like this back in the 1980s, I think speaks to the longevity and legitimacy to this model.”

Greenfield Police Lt. Jason Haskins, who helped spearhead the program’s formation, explained that although the main premise is to introduce youth to law enforcement, it aims to do much more.

“We basically have three premises,” Haskins said. “The first one was an introduction to criminal justice for kids who want to do it. Our second piece is youth development and leadership. We want kids to become the best version of themselves and to be good leaders. The third part is community service.”

The program emphasizes an educational aspect covering a vast array of subjects related to policing, law enforcement and public safety. Topics that have already been covered this year include motor vehicle law, the K-9 unit and on-site communication. Haskins explained that helping participants to build careers through networking, resume building and one-on-one assistance is a major component.

The program operates under the Northeast Regional Law Enforcement Educational Association (NERLEEA) based in Connecticut. NERLEEA helps guide more than 30 cadet programs throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. The Franklin County program is modeled after those run through the police departments of Fairfield Connecticut, and Hartford, Connecticut.

“Kids who are interested in law enforcement, we have provided an avenue to kind of foster that interest and maybe guide them into a career in law enforcement,” said Capt. Jason Collins of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s also a way that we can build relationships between the public and public safety.”

“I think it’s critically important for police and public safety professionals to connect with young people to open their eyes to a possibility of a career in public service,” Donelan added.

Brian Skorb, a cadet in the program who aged out after turning 21, was recently hired by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

“Law enforcement and first responding has always been an interest of mine. My grandmother was a cop for a short period of time, my father was a firefighter, my mom was an EMT. There’s a military background in my family as well,” Skorb said. “I think [the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is] a perfect place to start off and to keep taking the opportunities that come around to me. There’s a whole plethora of ways to advance in this career at the Sheriff’s Office and that’s something I really wasn’t aware of until I started talking with Capt. Collins.”

The program was originally planned to only accept Greenfield residents, but quickly expanded to include the entirety of Franklin County. Haskins and Collins explained that Franklin County is home to many small towns with a necessity for local police officers and it is important to attract interest from the youth to get the community involved in law enforcement.

“I’m really hopeful that some nice, quality people will grab a hold of public safety because of this program,” Donelan said.

The program’s executive board consists of members from police departments across the county including Greenfield, Deerfield, Montague and Sunderland, as well as representatives from the Sheriff’s Office and GCC. Donors and advisors from several other departments around the county, such as Conway and Whately, are involved as well.

The program is self-sufficient, relying on donations, volunteering and fundraising to operate. Participants pay a $15 insurance fee and a $50 security deposit for uniforms that they get back once they age out of the program. Participants between the ages of 14 and 20 years old are eligible.

“Our goal is to have the cadets really not have to spend any money whatsoever,” Haskins said. “Especially in Franklin County — this is not an affluent area. We want to 100% make sure that it’s available to any kid that wants to be a part of it.”

More information about the program can be found at franklincountypolicecadets.com.