BALTIMORE, MD.  — Supporting Mayor Catherine E. Pugh’s aim to create a pipeline of committed, skilled, and experienced Baltimore Police officers, the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council has approved for accreditation the Mayor’s newly-instituted Cadet-Apprentice Program, effective immediately.

Mayor Pugh has made reviving the long-dormant BPD Cadet program a top priority over the past year. She tasked her Innovation Team, which is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, to work with BPD to refine the program to have the structure, education and mentorship needed to make it an effective initiative for recruiting and training future law enforcement officers. There are currently 11 cadets in the program and the Mayor has targeted up to 20 by year-end.

“Building a 21st Century police department that reflects Constitutional, community-based policing is central to our efforts to reform the Baltimore Police Department and re-establish the trust and confidence of our citizens,” said Mayor Catherine E. Pugh. “With the launch of this new Cadet-Apprenticeship program, I am confident that we will attract and cultivate a new generation of quality young men and women who will also help create the new culture and approach that is essential.”

Qualified individuals can enter the Cadet program at age 18 and continue until 20.5 years when they are eligible to enter the Police Academy. Cadets will be involved with structured on-the-job learning, paired with rigorous educational programming and coordinated mentoring. Cadets’ starting salary is $30,000 and they will receive full employment benefits.

The Mayor’s Office of Innovation (or i-team) works to address challenges specific to Baltimore and deliver better results for residents. Mayor Pugh has tasked the i-team with developing improvements to police recruitment and hiring in Baltimore.