Army cadets experienced what it is like to be a police officer when they were tasked to find “drugs” inside a car.
Officers from the city centre Operation Reacher team visited Nottinghamshire Army Cadets at a school in Arnold and laid on a variety of activities.
The idea was to show youngsters what it is like to be on the team, which proactively targets criminals.
For one of the activities, the Reacher team hid quantities of fake drugs inside a car and the cadets had to try and find them.
PC Matt Mason explained: “We set up a search scenario where we hid a load of items in a car and they were given five minutes to find them all. This included fake drugs (sugar), fake cash, made up business cards for drug dealers and burner phones – and the cadets had to find them all.
“It was harder than they thought! We hid some sugar inside an air freshener that they didn’t realise could be opened up. The idea was just to give them an insight into what it’s like to be a Reacher officer.”
The evening started with an introduction to the team and their kit followed by some public order training and a Q&A session.
Detachment commander Kieran Atherton said the cadets really enjoyed the session.
He said: “It was a huge success. One parent told me their son was a bit scared of the police but that he’d changed his mind by the end because the officers were so friendly.
“All of the cadets loved the session, especially searching the car.”
Nottinghamshire Police has had Operation Reacher teams in all 12 neighbourhood policing areas since October 2020 – each with a responsibility to proactively target local criminals and build stronger community relationships.
Alongside carrying out early morning raids on suspected drug dealers, hunting wanted suspects and patrolling local neighbourhoods, the teams also carry out vital interaction and engagement with adults and children across Nottinghamshire, as part of efforts to break down barriers and build trust and confidence in local officers.
