From left, are WCHS Principal Troy Akers; Pierceton Police Department Chief Tim Sammons; Police Cadet Leona Sellers; Police Cadet Brennan Cox; Police Advisor Ryan Piper; and Police Advisor Ashley Jones. Photo provided.

Press Release

WARSAW — Tim Sammons, Pierceton Police Department chief, addressed the Warsaw Community School Board on Monday, Sept. 21, about its recently launched police cadet program.

The project started in June 2019 and included multiple meetings with local school principals, students and parents. The Pierceton Police Cadets are juniors and seniors from all four high schools in the area: Whitko, Wawasee, Warsaw and Tippecanoe Valley, as well as one homeschool student from North Manchester.

There are twelve male and female students. Each cadet was vetted carefully by filling out a seven-page application requiring a GPA of 2.8 or higher. Background checks were completed on the students and parents. Each cadet passed an oral interview with the Pierceton Police Review Board and was approved by their building principal.

“This program is not for troubled youth,” said Sammons at the meeting. “It is for the student who is interested in law enforcement and the different aspects associated with law enforcement.”

Each month, a different police-related topic is presented to the students. A few of the topics include CSI, traffic accident investigation, paramedic service, fire service, death investigation, community policing, FBI Police K9, S.W.A.T. and Bomb Squad.

The topics are presented by law enforcement professionals from the Warsaw Police Department, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana State Police and federal agencies. Pierceton Police Officer Ryan Piper is the police advisor for the male cadets. Pierceton Police Officer Ashley Jones is the police advisor for the female cadets. The Cadets have a uniform to wear at the meetings and for their community service projects. Joining Chief Sammons were WCHS seniors and police cadets Leona Sellers and Brennan Cox.

Any WCHS junior or senior who is interested in the police cadet program can contact WCHS Principal Troy Akers or Chief Sammons for an application.