MAYOR WALSH, COMMISSIONER EVANS SWEAR IN FIRST CLASS OF BOSTON POLICE CADETS SINCE 2009: Today, Wednesday, November 16, 2016, Mayor Martin Walsh and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans presided over a swearing-in ceremony for 42 Boston Police Cadets at the Boston Police Academy. Mayor Walsh, who announced the reinstatement of the Boston Police Cadet Program a year ago, was especially pleased with the level of talent and diversity represented in the new class. Said Walsh, “This is phenomenal opportunity for young people interested in making a difference in our community by becoming police officers. I know Commissioner Evans was a Police Cadet so it just goes to show where this opportunity can lead. I’m especially impressed with the level of diversity in the class. Seventy-five percent of our new Cadets come from a diverse background which clearly speaks to our commitment to diversity as well as our ongoing efforts to be one of the most inclusive police departments in the country.” The cadet program is a 2-year apprenticeship designed for Boston residents between the ages of 18-24 interested in joining the ranks of one of the more storied and professional police departments in the county. Said Commissioner Evans, “I’m so happy to see the return of the Boston Police Cadet program because of the opportunity it provides our city’s young people. As a former Cadet turned Commissioner, I started where they’re starting today and I know first-hand that the sky’s the limit for this class and their aspirations to become Boston Police Officers. I also told them a lot has changed since I was a Cadet. And, to be a successful police officer today, you have to be able to work in partnership and win the trust of our community members. For the BPD, community policing isn’t just a slogan, it’s our way of doing business.”