BEDFORD, VA – Usually, the last place you want to find yourself is inside the police department - but for Kade Witt, it’s been a dream of his since he was a kid.
“I remember in preschool we were telling what we want to do in the future, and I told the lady I wanted to be a motorcycle cop,” Witt said.
Witt isn’t in any sort of trouble. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
He’s a part of a new internship program at the Bedford Police Department called L.E.E.A.D- or Law Enforcement Education and Development.
“The whole focus of the program is to give kids an opportunity, one to see if they really want to be a police officer, also develop them and make them champions for the community,” Chief Ronnie Lewis said.
Lewis has been in Witt’s shoes - 18, fresh out of high school, and trying to figure out the rest of your life.
“When I got out of high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do, and having a program like this would have been key,” Lewis said.
Witt tells 10 News without the internship, he’d be in a very different place.
“I thought I’d have to get a job at like McDonald’s or something before I could do anything else,” Witt said.
Witt gets to shadow officers on day to day tasks, and even gets to help plan events, like National Night Out.
It’s a partnership with Virginia Career Works, and is giving him skills he can carry over to any career.
Lewis tells us he already sees a difference - and it’s been less than a week.
“There’s a stark difference between then and now. He’s had the opportunity to do podcast, obviously he’s done an interview, and he also had an opportunity to just speak with people in the community,” Lewis said.
Witt’s internship is the first of it’s kind in Virginia - but the department hopes it will catch on.
And as for Witt? He’s on the path to doing what he’s always wanted
“Eventually become a Bedford police officer,” he said.