View source for Law Enforcement Exploring

{{Short description|American education program for youth in law enforcement}}
{{Redirect|Police Explorer|the police variant of the Ford Explorer|Ford Police Interceptor Utility}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox WorldScouting | type = organization | image = Law Enforcement Exploring.png | name = Law Enforcement Exploring | caption = | headquarters = | location = | country = [[United States]] | f-date = July 12, 1973| founder = | award-for = | members = | chiefscouttitle = | chiefscout = | owner = [[Learning for Life]] |website= https://www.exploring.org/law-enforcement}}
'''Law Enforcement Exploring''', commonly referred to as '''Police Explorers''' or '''Police Scouts''', is an American [[vocational education]] program that allows youth to explore a career in [[law enforcement]] by working with local [[law enforcement agency|law enforcement agencies]]. Founded on July 12, 1973, it is one of the [[Exploring (Learning for Life)|Exploring]] programs from [[Learning for Life]], a non-Scouting affiliate of the [[Boy Scouts of America]]. The program is generally available to qualified young adults who have graduated from 8th grade and are between the ages of 14 and 21.

==Organization==

=== National ===
Learning for Life (LFL) coordinates the Law Enforcement Exploring program at the national level. LFL provides resources, including advisor training, sample policies, and insurance. LFL also hosts a biannual conference and competition, the National Law Enforcement Explorer Conference.

=== Local ===
A local law enforcement agency charters local explorer programs. At least one officer from that agency serves as the post's "Advisor". This advisor is responsible for department-level administration of the program and ensuring that the program meets the department's objectives.

Most posts maintain a command structure mirroring that of the hosting agency.

==Activities and training==
[[File:2015 Law Enforcement Explorers Conference navigating an obstacle course.jpg|thumb|Explorers navigating an [[obstacle course]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], 2015]]
Each post is unique, and the activities of each depend on their specific department's policies and guidelines. Typical activities include:

*Weekly or bi-monthly administrative and training
*Patrol "ride-alongs" (Some Posts require the Explorers participating to be 18 years or older and participate as private citizens)
*Community Service
*Tactical training
*[[Honor guard]]s
*Search and Rescue ([[ESAR]] posts specialize in this)
*Radio procedure (how to properly use police radios)
*Arrests and use of force
*[[Traffic stop]]s
*Building searches
*[[forensic science|Crime scene investigations]]
*Crisis/hostage negotiations
*Report writing
*Domestic crises
*Emergency first aid & CPR/AED/officer down
*White collar crime
*Active shooter response
*Field intoxication tests

Since the [[September 11 attacks]], some Explorer posts have focused their training on counter-terrorism, border patrol, drug raids, hostage negotiation, and active shooter areas, while still teaching the above-listed areas.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/us/14explorers.html |title=Scouts Train to Fight Terrorists, and More |date=13 May 2009 |work=[[New York Times]] |access-date=10 February 2016 }}</ref>

===Academy===
[[File:Twenty-nine Explorers graduate the National Law Enforcement Explorer Academy.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Graduates of the National Law Enforcement Explorer Academy at [[Fort Leonard Wood]], 2013]]
In some areas of the country, Explorers may attend an Explorer Academy, typically on consecutive weekends or for a week, to receive training and discipline similar to that of a real law enforcement academy. The academy ends with a graduation ceremony where certificates (such as [[CPR]] certification) and awards are given.

Some systems may provide different levels of academic training, such as:

*Basic (Complete overview of basic law enforcement)
*Advanced (with rotating topic each academy, or simply more in-depth training on various topics)
*Explorer Administrative Assistants (EAA's assist in the running of academies and assist with training)
*Selection (Either to prepare for a leadership position within the post or to prepare for the actual hiring process)
*Academy Police Department (Explorers apply, and are selected to join the APD. This course will simulate what it is like to work for a law enforcement agency for a week, using mock scenes to challenge the Explorers)
*Ride Along (Explorers learn how to safely ride alongside a police officer serving on their patrol shift. They learn where to stand on traffic stops and how to react in high-stress situations. They are also taught when and when not to get out of the patrol car, depending on the severity of the call.)

Post advisers instruct a majority of the Explorer Training, including Academies.

==Activities==

===Public events===
Public services offer Explorers the opportunity to engage with the community in a public setting. Events range from [[crowd control]] at parades, to providing security and uniformed presence at events like fairs and sporting events, and directing traffic during mass traffic floods, such as those following sporting and other civic events.

===Conferences and competition===
Every other year, Learning for Life hosts a National Law Enforcement Explorer Conference, which includes role-playing scenarios that law enforcement officers regularly encounter, seminars, and networking opportunities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://exploring.learningforlife.org/services/career-exploring/law-enforcement/2012-conference/|title=2012 Conference Flyer|date=2012|publisher=[[Learning for Life]]|access-date=10 February 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206211758/http://exploring.learningforlife.org/services/career-exploring/law-enforcement/2012-conference/|archive-date=6 February 2016}}</ref>

Depending on the regional structure, explorers may compete several times annually. They perform the skills they have learned (such as traffic stops, building searches, marksmanship, and arrests) in the form of scenarios. They are graded by judges against fellow explorers from the region, country, and sometimes the world.

==Awards and recognition==
Explorers are eligible for awards and scholarships offered through Learning for Life, as well as local and regional Explorer organizations.

==Criticism==

===Sexual abuse===
Since the mid-1970s, there have been over 190 reported cases of police officers grooming, sexually abusing, or engaging in inappropriate behavior with Explorers, the vast majority of whom were underage girls.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-05-03 |title=How police officers preyed on teens in the Boy Scouts' police Explorer program |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/police-explorer-boy-scouts-sexual-abuse-allegations-rcna145347 |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> Such incidents have occurred in at least 66 police departments.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=203247267293357847225.0004b29afbdbd2a9098d4&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=39.300299,-93.867187&spn=22.025444,52.991867&t=h&vpsrc=1&source=embed |title=Police-on-Explorer Sex Incidents |website=[[Google Maps]] |access-date=10 February 2016 }}</ref>

Investigation by [[the Marshall Project]] has revealed that lack of oversight is common in the program, and that in many cases, armed police officers are allowed to be alone with teenagers.<ref name=":0" /> Learning for Life has created a set of rules governing the Explorer program, which includes a non-fraternization policy between officers (or "adult leaders") and Explorers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Safety First |url=http://exploring.learningforlife.org/safety-first/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131064448/http://exploring.learningforlife.org/safety-first/ |archive-date=31 January 2016 |access-date=10 February 2016 |publisher=[[Learning for Life]]}}</ref> However, it leaves oversight to individual departments.<ref name="sw">{{cite web |date=29 November 2011 |title=The Boy Scouts' Police Problem |url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/2011-11-30/news/the-boy-scouts-police-problem/ |access-date=10 February 2016 |publisher=[[Seattle Weekly]]}}
</ref> There are no reported cases of Learning for Life revoking a police department's ability to operate an Explorer program over failed oversight leading to one or several incidents of sexual abuse.<ref name="sw" />

The Boy Scouts of America hired Michael Johnson, a former detective, as the national director of youth protection in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walsh |first=Savannah |date=2023-09-06 |title=The Boy Scouts' Sexual Abuse Scandal No Longer Lives in the Shadows |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/09/the-boy-scouts-sexual-abuse-scandal-no-longer-lives-in-the-shadows |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}</ref> He became alarmed by the sexual abuse taking place in the Explorers program, and stated that, "[mentors] have these Explorers with them riding around at night and the officers do a nonexistent-to-poor job of maintaining clear boundaries."<ref name=":0" />

==== Serial abuse by officers in St. Petersburg, Florida ====
In 1996, John Ferraro, a police officer and mentor in the Explorers program, was accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl. He died by suicide soon after the allegations surfaced, and in the note he left behind, he wrote, "I'm not the only person who's having sex with a minor at the police department... They really need to tighten up the rules." An outside investigation sparked by the allegations against Ferraro revealed that 11 officers in the departments near [[St. Petersburg, Florida]] had sexually abused or raped Explorers in the previous ten years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wolfson |first=Andrew |title=Sexual abuse of Explorer Scouts has gone on for decades across the nation |url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/investigations/2017/05/18/sexual-abuse-explorer-scouts-has-gone-decades-across-nation/311510001/ |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=The Courier-Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>

===== Serial abuse by Sergeant Vince Ariaz =====
Sergeant Vince Ariaz ran the [[Brownwood, Texas]], Police Department's Explorer program in the 2000s. In 2004, a 15-year-old Explorer came forward and alleged that Ariaz had sexually abused her one night when they were at the station house alone. She also claimed that he had sent her text messages "bragging about the size of his penis and how he intended to use it on her."<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Kaminsky |first=Jonathan |title=Dozens of Teenage Boy Scout Explorers Have Been Sexually Abused by Cops; Should Scouts Share the Blame? |url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/dozens-of-teenage-boy-scout-explorers-have-been-sexually-abused-by-cops-should-scouts-share-the-blame-6451346 |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=Phoenix New Times |language=en}}</ref> Ariaz was not removed after the girl's report. In 2007, Ariaz began sexually abusing another 15-year-old Explorer. He was arrested after a Texas Ranger set up a hidden camera to catch Ariaz in the act of sexual abuse.<ref name=":2" /> He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The City of Brownwood paid the victim's family $300,000 in a settlement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wolfson |first=Andrew |title=Sexual abuse of Explorer Scouts has gone on for decades across the nation |url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/investigations/2017/05/18/sexual-abuse-explorer-scouts-has-gone-decades-across-nation/311510001/ |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=The Courier-Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== Murder of Sandra Birchmore ====
In 2024, former Explorers mentor and [[Stoughton, Massachusetts|Stoughton]] Police Department detective Matthew Farwell was indicted on charges that he murdered former Explorer Sandra Birchmore and attempted to cover up her death by staging her suicide.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-28 |title='Heinous': Ex-Stoughton officer strangled Sandra Birchmore, staged her death as suicide, feds say |url=https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/ex-stoughton-officer-strangled-sandra-birchmore-staged-her-death-suicide-indictment-says/AMWV6EGFRJBQZP5KDMAEYEJGXU/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Boston 25 News |language=en}}</ref> Birchmore joined the Explorers program at age 12. Farwell allegedly used his position as a mentor in the program to groom, sexually exploit, and eventually sexually abuse Birchmore from the age of 15 up until her death at age 23.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> When Birchmore informed Farwell that she was pregnant with his child in 2021, the charges allege that he killed her and staged the scene as suicide by hanging.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for Massachusetts initially ruled the cause of death a [[suicide]]. Subsequent pathologists and experts who reviewed Sandra Birchmore's autopsy report concluded that the findings were not consistent with the position the body was found in.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-28 |title=District of Massachusetts {{!}} Former Massachusetts Police Officer Arrested in Connection with Murder of Young Woman {{!}} United States Department of Justice |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/former-massachusetts-police-officer-arrested-connection-murder-young-woman |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=www.justice.gov |language=en}}</ref> A 2022 internal investigation by Stoughton police found that two other officers involved in the Explorers program, including the veteran who ran the program, also sexually abused Birchmore.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> 

===Post disbandments===

In 2000, [[Los Angeles City Council]] voted unanimously to disband the [[Los Angeles Police Department]]'s Explorer Program due to the Scouts of America's policies (at the time) prohibiting [[Homosexuality|homosexual]], [[Atheism|atheist]], or [[Agnosticism|agnostic]] members, which violated city laws preventing associations with businesses that discriminate.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=29 November 2000 |title=LA to Cut Scout Ties Over Discrimination |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=94860&page=1 |access-date=17 February 2023 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref> The LAPD replaced their program with the [[Los Angeles Police Department Cadet Program|Cadet Program]] in 2007.

In September 2015, [[Fox Lake, Illinois]] disbanded the Fox Police Explorers Post 300 following the staged [[suicide of Joe Gliniewicz]], the head of the group who had been embezzling money from it, among other crimes.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zumbach |first1=Lauren |date=8 December 2015 |title=Fox Lake disbands Gliniewicz's Explorers youth policing group |publisher=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/ct-lns-fox-lake-police-explorers-st-1209-20151208-story.html |access-date=11 April 2025}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
In the 1971 ''[[Adam-12]]'' episode "Pick-Up", a group of LAPD Explorers manage to apprehend a robbery suspect.

In an episode of ''[[Law and Order: Special Victims Unit]]'', a member of the [[New York City Police Department]] Law Enforcement Explorers program jeopardizes, but then saves, a criminal case against a [[serial rapist]].

In an episode of ''[[Blue Bloods (TV series)|Blue Bloods]]'', a group of NYPD Law Enforcement Explorers is seen attending presentations hosted by [[Frank Reagan (Blue Bloods)|Frank]] and [[Jamie Reagan]] concerning the career of law enforcement.

In an episode of ''[[Chicago PD (TV series)|Chicago PD]]'', Officer Roman talks to some youths about the Law Enforcement program. Officer Roman later tells fellow officers that he started his law enforcement career in this program, and it saved his life.

==See also==
* [[Aviation Career Exploring]]
* [[Fire Service Exploring]]
* [[Health Career Exploring]]
* [[Explorer Search and Rescue]]
* [[Exploring (Learning for Life)|Exploring]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://exploring.learningforlife.org/services/career-exploring/law-enforcement/ Law Enforcement Exploring]
* [http://mnleexplorer.org/ Minnesota Law Enforcement Association]
* [http://www.tleeaa.org/ Texas Law Enforcement Association]
* [http://www.sheriffexplorers.net/ Florida Sheriff's Explorer Association]
* [http://www.lawexploring.com/ National Law Enforcement Explorers Forum]

{{Boy Scouts of America}}

[[Category:1973 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Boy Scouts of America]]
[[Category:Law enforcement in the United States]]