Mornings, Tanuj Soni is a student at Highline Community College. Afternoons, he is an officer for Renton Police Department. He works in Staff Services and Auxiliary Services, the formal name for the Renton Municipal Jail.

Soni works Tuesday through Friday, 12:30-4 p.m. Monday he works for an officer upstairs.

Soni, 19, of Des Moines, is one of four Renton Police Department cadets. While on jail duty, Soni escorts visitors from the police offices on the first floor of City Hall down to the jail, on the upper level of the two-story parking garage. When he’s not escorting, he files.

“I like it,” Soni says of his cadet gig. “Even though it’s an inside job, there’s a lot to do.”

Renton’s first cadet program began July 1. The Police Department has volunteers, but has never had a cadet, explorer or reserve program, says Floyd Eldridge, commander of the Investigations Division. Eldridge is head of the cadet program.

He says creating a cadet program was the idea of Deputy Chief Chuck Marsalisi.

The program was approved for funding late last year as part of this year’s budget, but was put on hold until July. The budget is $50,000, including uniforms.

Renton’s cadet program is not modeled on any existing program. It’s unlike California’s, which has cadets in intensive training, or Kent’s, which has cadets performing security-guard duties.

“We did ours our Renton way,” Eldridge says.

While Renton’s cadet program could evolve into a California-style program, for now it’s a simpler learning opportunity.

“It’s not training to be police officers,” Edridge explains. “Ours is more getting an opportunity to see what it’s like

be here.”

Eldridge describes Renton’s cadet program as “kind of in between” Law Enforcement Exploring — a Boy Scouts of America program for 8-14 year olds — and an internship, usually for college credit.

Renton’s four cadets enter fall quarter as sophomores at area colleges. Three attend Highline Community College, and one Bellevue Community College. All are studying criminal justice, and most are interested in becoming police officers or entering law enforcement. Three are men and one woman. All went through a hiring process, and all are paid.

“They are employees,” Eldridge says. “They’re not represented by the union or guild, but they are employees of the Police Department. They’re part of the family.”

Cadets wear modified police uniforms similar to parking enforcement outfits. Light blue collared shirts, dark blue pants and black boots. Shirts feature a cloth police badge and the wearer’s first initial and last name. “Cadet” is printed under the badge and the back of the shirt reads “POLICE CADET.”

Cadets don’t carry guns or do enforcement. But they get plenty of hands-on experience.

Each cadet works 15-20 hours a week and serves in a distinct division: Auxiliary and Staff Services, Administrative Services, Investigations and Operations, which includes Patrol, Operations Services and Special Services. Cadets move to a new division each quarter.

So far, Eldridge says the cadets have helped with parking enforcement, domestic violence reports and processing evidence, among other tasks.

The cadets also work backup during city events. They’ve patrolled Renton’s Fourth of July celebration, Renton River Days and Return to Renton Benefit Car Show and Cruise. They’ve also helped with the summer lunch program managed by Renton School District and the City of Renton.

Eldridge initially feared his coworkers would see the cadets as more of a nuisance than an asset.

“At first I thought I was going to have to force this down people’s throats, but that’s not what happened,” he says.

Instead, he says the cadets have been “a hit.” He hopes the program will weather any budget cuts in the weakened economy.

“It’s not a large budget, but it’s a very important program; I’d hate to lose it,” he says.

Renton’s cadet program is one of the area’s few, Eldridge says. Snohomish also has a cadet program.

“I think it’s kind of a California thing that’s just starting to come up here,” he says.

Eldridge says Renton’s cadet program is a good way to give both the cadets and the Police Department “the first bite of the apple.” The department gets to know the cadets and the cadets get to know the department.

“It’s kind of a two-way street with them,” he says. “They’re not yet in the job market, and they come in and work part-time, get a feel for the job and the department, and at the same time we get a feel for who they are and see if they are a good fit.”

Although Renton’s cadets are too young and unprepared to be police officers, with training, Eldridge says all four could succeed in a law-enforcement career.

He hopes the current and future cadets will choose Renton as the location for those successful careers. The cadet program is intended to give Renton Police Department “first grab” at the best job candidates.

Renton competes for the same pool of job candidates as area cities, like Kent, Tukwila, Auburn and Redmond. But if a candidate has already worked as a cadet in the Renton Police Department, chances are he or she will later choose to join Renton Police Department as a full-time employee.

Tanuj Soni has already chosen to apply to Renton Police Department after he earns his law and justice and accounting degrees from the University of Washington or Seattle University. He sees a Renton law-enforcement job as a springboard to the FBI.

Soni planned to take an engineering path to the FBI — until a Highline teacher mentioned Renton’s cadet program.

“I wasn’t into being in a cubicle all day,” he says.

The cadet program doesn’t have Soni in a cubicle all day, and he is already getting the law-enforcement experience he seeks.

Soni’s now familiar with his jail duties. He escorted two women to the jail at the beginning of a recent visiting period, which runs from 2-4 p.m. One woman was visiting her boyfriend who was arrested a week earlier on a warrant issued for violating his probation. The other woman was visiting one of her best friends who had been in jail only about 12 hours.

Each woman checked in with Soni at the visitor window in the police offices on the first floor of City Hall. He logged their personal information and then walked the women into the elevator and down to the upper parking garage, through a door marked “Renton Municipal Jail.”

Each visitor has 15 minutes. Soni writes each visitor’s pick-up time on a Post-it and sticks it to his computer. When time’s up, he escorts the visitor back upstairs.

Renton Municipal Jail has 50 beds, for inmates serving time for misdemeanor offenses or waiting to be transferred to the Department of Corrections in King and Yakima counties.

Soni has escorted visitors to prisoners serving time for DUIs, theft and warrants.

Not all inmates are allowed visitors. Soni probably escorts visitors to four to five inmates per day.

“It just goes in 15-minute periods,” Soni says of his work during visiting hours.

Soni is most excited to work in Renton Police’s Investigation Department. If he doesn’t get into the FBI, he wants to be a detective. He’s also excited to work in the Patrol Department, but not so much the Administration Department.

Still, “It’s all good experience,” he says. “Getting you one step ahead of everyone else at the academy. It gives me a much bigger advantage.”