July 08, 2013
It was a cold spring morning when, a group of Malaysians arrived at the Territorial Army Centre in Kensington, London - the venue where several young Malaysian police cadets were to share their experiences in the world of police cadetship and training.
As soon as the group reached the centre, which was not too far from the Kensington tube station, they were whisked off for a tour of its training grounds.
The Malaysian delegation, which included young police cadets from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), were briefed on the voluntary activities for young Britons in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, an urban district in central London.
After a short tour of the centre, the Malaysian police cadets also presented before their host a special performance of their silent drill, which had been perfected with the help of the Malaysian police.
After seeing the Volunteer Police Cadets (VPC) of the Kensington Borough go about their business at the centre earlier in the day, we began to understand why the centre was chosen to provide exposure to Malaysian cadets - who were scheduled to meet the young VPCs of Kensington and Chelsea later in the evening.
The VPC voluntary programme, developed by the Kensington and Chelsea police departments, is aimed at raising awareness among young people about the responsibilities of both the community and the police towards ensuring safety in their respective boroughs or districts.
The programme also serves another purpose: it assures parents that their teenaged children have taken the right direction and are using their time productively.
HAPPY PARENTS
"We come here every Thursday evening and sometimes stay on to watch our children learn about not abetting crime and fighting against it together. Besides that they also practise marching and enjoy the drills, which instill discipline in them," said Sheila Taylor, whose teenage daughter is a volunteer cadet in the centre.
"It has given me better, non-sleepless nights because I can now rest assured that my child is not involved in any unwanted gangster activity or is hanging out with the wrong kind of friends till late after school," she continued.
"These teenagers are given the opportunity to learn more about being part of a community and respecting each other's right to be comfortable and safe," Taylor added.
She sends her 13-year-old daughter, Gemma Waklin, to the centre for "adequate and the right exposure", where the district police supervise the extra-curricular activities of minors between the ages of 13 and 18.
There are two VPC centres in Kensington and Chelsea, with more than 50 cadets attending the weekly programmes.
RESPONSIBLE FUN
"My daughter looks forward to her time here at the centre. She also enjoys meeting police cadets from outside this district - just like tonight, when cadets from a foreign land will share their experiences with our children," said Taylor, while sitting with other mothers awaiting their children.
With such a voluntary programme in place, the community has also become more aware of the functions of its neighbourhood police officers, who carry out their duties to ensure safety in their community.
While speaking to several other voluntary police cadets at the centre, I was told that continuous support and cooperation from the community have also enabled the police to execute their responsibilities more successfully.
Every Thursday, the cadets hold a meeting in Kensington between 6.30pm and 9pm.
These meetings usually include a drill or inspection, physical activities, and a guest speaker discussing a police-related topic, as part of the training programme.
These young, school-going cadets often perform duties in support of local policing objectives, particularly those related to Safer Neighbourhood initiatives.
The UK's VPC programme was launched 21 years ago. A unit has been set up in every borough in London - as the central component of the London Metropolitan Police's youth outreach programme.
COMMUNAL TASKS
The cadets can perform tasks under crime prevention initiatives, including delivering messages or leaflets on crime prevention and also getting involved in non-confrontational local events.
During the weekends and school holidays, the cadets also participate in outdoor activities, such as camping, canoeing and raft building, among other things.
For the visiting Malaysian university police cadet team from IIUM, comprising 18 boys and girls, sharing their thoughts with their counterparts and other volunteers from London was an invaluable experience.
After performing the silent drill, much to the amazement of the little crowd gathered at the centre, the Malaysian police cadets went on to mingle with the British teenagers.
"We performed our very own silent drill. The teenagers here were thrilled to see us perform and our formations amazed them. Even their instructors and senior officers were excited. Furthermore, we performed wearing our full uniforms," said 23-year-old Mohd Radzlan Mohd Rodzi, the head cadet of the visiting Malaysian team, after the performance that lasted for close to 20 minutes.
He said the Malaysian cadets go through hours of drills and the toughest of disciplinary exercises under the watchful care of their trainers from the Malaysian police force.
DISCIPLINE
Jayne Richardson, a police constable who has served the Metropolitan Police Service in England for more than 10 years, said the discipline the young cadets are put through during the trainings greatly help them become better citizens.
The Metropolitan Police Service covers an area of about 1,606 square kilometres, and serves a population of more than 7.2 million in the Greater London area.
It has 31,000 officers, 13,000 police staff and 2,500 VPCs.
"These young cadets are willing to travel to the centre every week and that shows their serious commitment. Our young cadets mostly live in or attend school or college in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea," Richardon stated.
"However, we advise those who live outside the borough but wish to join our VPC to make sure that their journey to the centre does not take too long. This is to avoid any personal safety implications," Richardson told the visiting Malaysian team.
The IIUM cadets were accompanied by their Deputy Commandant, Supt Dr Akmal Khuzairy Abdul Rahman, who is also the Dean of Student Affairs and Development Division at IIUM; officials from the university and the Royal Malaysian Police; and their trainers and drill instructors.
CAREER
For some of the volunteers, pursuing a career in the police force has become a natural course to follow. One such cadet is 17-year-old Alfae Bance, who is the head cadet at the centre.
Bance, who has been a VPC for four years, spoke of his ambition to become a police officer in the near future.
"I am looking forward to that day, actually, after I complete my studies. The responsibilities of police officers today are certainly not easy to carry out and fulfil, but it is a noble profession," he said.
"The safety of the borough and its community is in their hands, and working together with the community at large would certainly promise all a more secured and satisfying life. The incentives are good, too," Bance added.
While not all voluntary police cadets, whether in Britain or Malaysia, will decide to opt for a career in the police force, their days of training in discipline will certainly give them an understanding of what policing is all about and how they could lend a helping hand in jointly preventing and combating crimes. - Bernama, July 8, 2013.
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