HYDE PARK—Police Commissioner Stephen P. Kennedy of New York City has started a cadet program in his department which I think has considerable interest for young people.

Under the present law no person can be appointed to the police force until he reaches the age of 21. The new program is designed to interest young people from the time they leave high school, for usually by the time most boys are 21 they are often already started on some kind of work and do not want to consider taking up law enforcement as a career.

Through attendance at the Police Academy and on-the-job training in nonenforcement police duties, cadets will be trained for careers on the police force. During this time cadets also will be encouraged to enroll in the police program of the Bernard M. Baruch School of City College. Cadets may, however, attend any other accredited college in the metropolitan area, provided the course of study is related substantially to some phase of police work such as psychology, law, sociology, and business administration.

Cadets may select a work week of 20 to 35 hours, depending on the requirements of their college attendance. This work week will include a three-hour career training assignment at the Police Academy.

Nonenforcement duties that they might be called upon to undertake are typing, filing, searching records, preparation of charts and statistical reports, telephone service or shorthand transcription of hearings. They are paid $1.60 per hour for actual time devoted to work and career training. They are covered under Social Security, and deserving cadets may have a scholorship made available.

Applicants must be at least 17 years old and under 20 on July 1 of this year. Their minimum height must be five feet eight inches and their weight must be in proportion to their height. Their vision must be 20/30 in each eye separately without glasses, and they must be citizens of the U.S. and residents of New York City for three years prior to appointment. They must be single and of good moral character.

Since they must be high-school graduates, they also must have passed college entrance requirements for whatever college they have chosen to attend in the city, and they must be prepared at the Police Academy to take an intelligence test and a mental ability and reasoning test.

If they are successful, they will receive an appointment and they will form a pool from which future policemen may be appointed when they reach the proper age.

This is an effort to raise the level of intelligence and education of the average policeman. In a city like ours, which has many problems and many peoples of different backgrounds, to have a program of this kind is important. It means that the minority groups can apply, and should apply, because it will then ensure that on the police force there will be policemen who understand any group in New York City and who cannot be accused of looking down on any group for racial or religious reasons.