By Mary O’KEEFE

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. at Crescenta Valley Station is looking for teens for its Explorer program.

The Explorer program started in 1969 as a career development and education program open to kids from 14 to 20 years old.

“The [Explorers] can go on ride-alongs with station deputies, work with station functions like National Night Out, parades and [the Thanksgiving] Turkey Run,” said Deputy Jeff Martin.

Explorers is a leadership program for boys and girls.

“We want kids who would like to work in law enforcement and who want to give back to the community,” he added.

Those in the program will attend an 18-week Explorer Academy that is held on Saturdays. The academy trains Explorers in physical training, defensive tactics training, first aid, CPR, leadership development, career development, classroom lectures and practical application exercises as well as academic requirements.

Although the program follows strict guidelines, Martin said he creates an environment where kids can learn, where they feel safe and have mentors to support them. This is a program that will allow cadets who are curious about a career in law enforcement to experience what a life in law enforcement is like prior to deciding if this is the path they want to take.

Explorers will also compete against Explorers from other programs at competitions that challenge their ability to analyze situations quickly and to react as their training has prepared them.

The Explorer team from Crescenta Valley Station has competed in a tactical competition in Chandler, Arizona, where participants responded to specific real-life scenarios with judges observing and scoring their actions. The scenarios challenge Explorers to use their training in areas including rapid response, serving a high risk warrant and crisis negotiation.

The purpose is to not only test what they have learned over the years of training at their own station but also to see how they work as a team.

It is not a program just for those who would like a law enforcement career but also for teenagers who are interested in a program that teaches discipline and organization, and looks good on a resumé, whether for employment or college.

Martin stressed that this is not for children who have gone “off the path” and whose parents want to get them in a discipline program; instead this is for students who want to challenge themselves to succeed in any situation.

Explorers meet the second and fourth Monday of the month at the CV Station. For more information, contact Dep. Jeff Martin at (818) 248-4027 or (818) 248-4026.

  Mary Okeefe