WIGGINS — Facing the same recruitment challenges seen across the country, the Stone County Sheriff’s Department has launched a new cadet program to prepare teens for careers in law enforcement, firefighting and emergency medical services. 

Sheriff Todd Stewart said the program, created in partnership with the nonprofit Public Safety Cadets, will give local youth hands-on training and early exposure to the demands of public safety work — while helping build a pipeline of future first responders from within the community. 

Public Safety Cadets program 

Participants in the cadet program train alongside professionals in various branches of public safety, gaining practical experience and a deeper understanding of the work first responders do. 

“It’s very hands-on,” said Lt. Michael Williams of the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, which has partnered with the nonprofit for several years. “It’s not just that we come to a meeting, we sit around and we just talk. No, we’re going to train because we want them to get the experience and see what we do in our everyday life and in our career.” 

Stewart said that level of engagement was one of the reasons Stone County decided to bring the program to its community. 

“We are always looking for something to reach out to our youth,” Stewart said. “It combines all three: fire, medical and law enforcement, so it gives them a broader scope of opportunities to be a first responder.” 

Williams said many cadets in his program have gone on to become firefighters, paramedics, members of the military and law enforcement officers. 

“It’s not solely pushed as, ‘Hey, you got to go into law enforcement,’” he said. “It’s just getting them involved in something and giving them that structure to have that push to want to go do something.” 

Opening doors to the future 

Law enforcement agencies across the country report ongoing struggles to hire and retain officers. 

A 2024 national survey by the International Association of Chiefs of Police found that more than 70% of departments reported increased difficulty in hiring since 2019. On average, agencies reported operating at about 91% of their full staffing levels. 

In response, some departments — including in Stone and Harrison counties — are turning to youth-focused efforts to close the gap. 

While Stone County’s patrol division is currently fully staffed, Stewart said there are persistent vacancies in corrections — a field with its own unique challenges. 

“I’m understaffed on the correction side, but being a corrections officer is a special talent too,” he said. “When we bring them into the Public Safety Cadet (program), we will introduce them to that side of the house to see if they have the aptitude (for it).” 

The program also provides students with a practical pathway to employment. Stewart said cadets who complete the program may be eligible for entry-level jobs soon after graduation. 

“When they graduate from high school, they can come into EMS, fire at a younger age,” he said. “Law enforcement, you have to be 21, but on the county side, at the jail, you can be 18.”

Applications for the cadet program are open year-round. 

“We’ll continuously take them from here on out,” Stewart said. “Even if you’re not interested this month, but you think you might be interested in two or three months from now, go ahead and fill out an application.” 

Changing the perception 

Beyond recruitment, Stewart said the program aims to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community by giving young people a realistic view of what officers do each day. 

“We take a lot of feedback — negative and positive — because of perception, not realities,” he said. “With this program, we’ll actually let them see what we do and why we do it.” 

Williams, who oversees school resource officers in Harrison County, said he’s seen students’ attitudes shift through their involvement in the cadet program. 

“You do get that image of, ‘Well, they’re just here to arrest us.’” he said. “No, there’s just so much more that goes into this. It’s just not putting handcuffs on somebody and taking somebody to jail.” 

He said cadets often take those insights home, helping change how their families and peers view public safety as well. 

“We show it all. You get to experience it all,” he said. “It’s helped in recruitment, and that’s how we’ve gotten some kids as well.” 

Building community 

Stewart said growing interest in public safety careers locally can benefit departments and communities long term. 

“If you can grow them from within your own community, then you have vested interest in them, and they have a vested interest in staying in the community,” he said. “It’s like finding the love of your life. Once you find what you want to do, you’re more likely to stay in that profession.” 

He said programs like Public Safety Cadets support the foundation of good law enforcement: community-oriented policing. 

“You decide whether you’re a good police department based on how the community perception of you is,” Stewart said, quoting former United Kingdom Prime Minister Robert Peel. “The police are the community, and the community are the police.” 

Those interest in joining the Stone County Public Safety Cadets program can contact the Stone County Sheriff’s Department by calling (601) 928-3191.