TROY, N.Y. — Connor Danz and Catherine Wasula continue to reminisce about the first time they interviewed to be Troy Police Cadets, a decision they say they’re glad they made.

What You Need To Know

  • The program is open to residents ages 14-20

  • The Cadet Post runs year round for participants

  • Cadets have opportunities to move up and set themselves up for opportunities in law enforcement after the program

“I have friends and family members who are police officers, so I’ve always had an allure to it and the cadet program realize more the in-depth, nitty-gritty stuff that goes into it,” Danz said.

Danz has been with the Troy police department for three years now, even serving as sergeant of the post.

Now he’s helping interview the next class of cadets, hoping the program will have the same impact on them.

“Oh my God, it’s saved my life to put it lightly. I’m such a different person after coming in. I’ve gotten more self-confident. I’ve learned so much about how the world works and the behind-the-scenes details,” Danz said.

Wasula has been with the department for a year now.

There’s one word she uses to describe the fellow cadets she serves with.

“I have friends, I have close friends, but these people are more like family. They are always there to back you up, they are there to help you. They are there to do anything you need at all times,” Wasula said. 

The program is for residents ages 14-20 to learn alongside police officers weekly. And for those who envision a career in law enforcement, it’s a head start into their field.

“I would eventually like to end up in federal law enforcement and this post and this post has definitely helped me find out how I want to get there and different career paths,” Wausau said.

This weekend the department has 23 interviews for potential candidates. Through these conversations, they hope to find more people ready to join the force of cadets.

“Somebody who is willing to learn, somebody open to building their skills and wants to explore different options. So being able to sit as a student and do the book work, the boring work so that you can do the fun stuff like policing drills and the tactics that we employ every day,” Kayla Decelle, a Troy Police officer said. 

As the program grows, the police department hopes to continue to impact lives just like Danz and Wasula.