The Columbus Police Department started a program last year to mentor young people into becoming responsible community adults who could be well prepared to have careers in law enforcement later in life.
Columbus Police Department was officially designated as Explorer Post 911 on Jan. 31, 2013. The explorer’s program has since grown to eight adult and 14 youth members.
Police exploring is sanctioned and regulated by Learning for Life, which is a non-scouting subsidiary of the Boy Scouts of America.
Explorers participate in a wide variety of activities to become familiar with law enforcement and to contribute to their own communities.
Activities for Explorer Post 911 have included tactical training, law enforcement scenarios, crime scene investigation, firearms training, report writing, police administrative duties, speed enforcement exercises, community relations, physical training, paintball, camping, zip lining, handcuffing techniques, drug and paraphernalia identification, traffic stops and vehicle searches, interviews and interrogations.
The Columbus Explorers have been seen assisting the Columbus Police Department at various town festivals, such as the Fabulous 4th of July in Columbus, the town’s Labor Day Festival last year and the Polk County Farm Festival.
The program began in Columbus under the direction of Columbus Police Officer Ron Diaz.
“Officer Diaz has expended much of his own time and energy starting, developing and facilitating this explorer program,” said Columbus Police Chief Chris Beddingfield.
The Explorer program is open to young men and women ages 14 (and having completed the eighth grade) and not yet 21 years old with an interest in learning more about careers in the field of law enforcement. The program provides educational training programs as well as career orientation experiences, leadership opportunities and community service activities.
According to Learning for Life, the primary goals of the program are to help young adults choose a career path within law enforcement and to challenge them to become responsible citizens of their communities and the nation.
The Columbus Police Department Explorer Post 911 Mission Statement is:
“The mission of Columbus Explorer Post 911 is to mentor, educate, shape, and develop young people into becoming responsible adults for their community. We will accomplish this mission by offering Explorers the opportunity to build the characteristics and qualities needed to become an effective law enforcement officer. This mission will produce future leaders who will proactively serve the community and instill the basic tenets of civic responsibility.”
For more information about the Columbus Police Department Explorer Post 911, call the police department at 828-89-5464.