What Do Sheriff's Explorers Do?

Sheriff's Explorers conduct a variety of programs and projects featuring safety, training, and service. Programs are hands-on activities. Explorers have opportunities to learn about the requirements of law enforcement careers and gain firsthand work experiences. They participate in worthwhile, challenging, and exciting projects and programs essential to the learning of law enforcement activities.

An Explorer Post is a young-adult group that recruits members, elects officers, and plans programs based on the organization's program capability inventory. The adult Advisors provide training, guidance, and supervision for the post's elected officers. Law enforcement Exploring, by its nature, is only an introduction to the police profession.

The local council recruits a volunteer Exploring committee and assigns staff members to provide the following services to the community organization's post:

• Leadership training for adult and elected youth officers
• Guidance in organizing a post and maintaining the program
• Methods to recruit Explorers, including a career interest survey of local high schools
• Regular communication with each post to provide program support
• Use of council facilities such as camps and canoes
• Planning of council wide activities that enrich the post's program

• The history of law enforcement
• Patrol procedures
• Traffic control and accident investigation
• Basic first aid
• Radio procedures
• Crime prevention techniques
• Community and public relations

Program Objectives

The goal of the Explorer's program is to educate and involve the community's youth in police operations, to educate them in law enforcement functions and to interest them in law enforcement careers.

The goals are achieved through several methods. Regular monthly meetings are conducted where representatives of various law enforcement agencies (federal, state, county, and local) meet with the Explorers. The Explorer ride-along program allows members to observe firsthand the field activities of police. Although most law enforcement Exploring activities are educational in nature, social activities are included. By participating in the programs provided, Explorers have the opportunity to broaden their understanding and knowledge of the challenges and job skills that make up their community's police service.

The Explorers program creates a better understanding of America's social, economic, and governmental systems. It instills a sense of pride of our American heritage while preparing a student for leadership roles and societal responsibilities in the community. The Explorers learn to use self-reliance based on courage, self-initiative, and resourcefulness. The program encourages the desire and skill to assist others in need.

Perhaps the most important goal of the Explorers program is to impress on the young people involved the respect for the basic rights of others and reverence for the law.

What Are The Program Guidelines Eligibility Requirements?

Membership in law enforcement Explorer posts, as in all Explorer posts, is open to young adults ages 14 through 20.

Membership in law enforcement Exploring is designed to be open to any young person who meets the age requirements. However, the need to establish trust between the Advisor and the post members and credibility within the department cannot be overlooked in establishing membership procedures.

The ability of a post to be effective and keep the support of the sponsoring agency will in large measure depend on the quality of the individuals involved.

If you are interested in the Explorer post please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at the Community Services Office in the Town Center Mall.