NORTH CANAAN — Welcome to the minor leagues of policing.
Troop B in North Canaan offers a free cadet program for ages 13 to 21 that teaches basic police work and an array of life skills.
“There’s a stigma that only people who want to be cops go to the cadet program — and that’s not necessarily true,” said Trooper Joshua Wedge of Troop B, who helps lead the program.
Named Post 1903, after the year the Connecticut State Police was founded, the program began as an offshoot of the Boy Scouts. Today, it is overseen by the Northeast Regional Law Enforcement Educational Association, alongside 51 similar programs across the region.
The year-long program meets once a week, usually on Thursdays, but it’s flexible based on the cadet’s schedule.
Eight cadets regularly attend, typically at the Troop B headquarters in North Canaan. For those hailing from afar, sessions are also held at Oliver Wolcott Technical High School in Torrington.
“We try to help our kids learn many different life skills and stuff that’s not just applicable to police work,” Wedge explained. “Things like public speaking, first aid, CPR, and even just how to give a firm handshake and make eye contact.”
Cadets learn the basics of police work: reviewing case law, understanding boundaries, and practicing how to respond to real-world scenarios.
Each year NERLEEA organizes three major events: Skills Day, Stations Day and a weeklong Police Academy.
On Skills Day cadets participate in classroom lessons and hands-on activities, such as Patrol Responses, Tactical Response, and Crisis Intervention.
Troop B cadets attend a police academy event with the Northeast Regional Law Enforcement Education Association.Provided
Stations Day is a judged competition, testing cadets on scenarios such as robbery response, felony stop and DUIs.
In July a select few cadets earn their way to attend a week-long “paramilitary-style” Police Academy, according to the NERLEEA website.
There, cadets wake up at 5:30 a.m. With each year a cadet returns, the program grows more demanding and intense.
The trip to the Academy costs $710, but this year local businesses stepped up to cover $310 of the cost for each cadet.
Community involvement is a major part of Post 1903. Cadets volunteer at over a dozen events annually, from toy drives to parking duty at the Goshen Fair.
The program offers a path to a career in law enforcement if the cadets want.
For example, Sergeant Richard Peck was a cadet with Troop B before becoming a Fairfield Police Officer in 2014, and he now helps run the Fairfield Cadet Program.
But if cadets don’t pursue police work, they still walk away with lifelong skills.
“We’ve had a couple of kids who were absolutely terrified and frozen when talking in front of people,” said Trooper Wedge. “And now they’ll sit there for six hours at an event and talk to every single person that comes by.”
In the end, it’s not just about shaping future officers — it’s about helping the cadets step confidently into life’s big leagues.
