How the City’s youth cadet programme combats gang recruitment

More than 80 youth cadets received new ranks at a City ceremony, part of a programme aimed at steering young people away from gang recruitment and building future leaders. More than 80 youth cadets have moved up the ranks in a City programme officials say is aimed at steering young people away from gang recruitment and keeping them in school. A total of 82 cadets from the Public Safety Training College were recognised during a ranking ceremony this weekend, taking on roles including divisional commanders, company commanders, unit and section leaders, and master cadets.

The ceremony comes as the City sharpens its focus on early intervention among young people considered vulnerable to crime and gang influence, amid ongoing concerns about violence affecting learners in some communities. Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said gangs were targeting young people and pulling them out of the education system. “Gangs are recruiting our youth, stealing them away from schools and robbing them of their chances to matriculate and get ahead in life,” he said.

Smith positioned the cadet programme as a direct response, aimed at identifying and supporting at-risk learners before they are drawn into criminal networks. “We are identifying at-risk learners and mentoring them throughout their high school careers to keep them on a different path,” he said. The youth cadet programme, introduced in 2013 as a social crime prevention initiative, was paused during the Covid-19 pandemic and has since been re-established at the Public Safety Training College.

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The City’s Safety and Security Directorate works with the Western Cape Education Department and Safe Schools to identify candidates, focusing on learners who show leadership potential and commitment to their schooling. Officials say the programme forms part of a broader shift toward prevention-focused safety strategies, with increasing emphasis on youth development and early intervention to address the root causes of crime. Once enrolled, cadets progress through a structured five-phase system, starting with recruitment and awareness at school level, followed by foundational and development training focused on skills, discipline and teamwork.

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