POUGHKEEPSIE – The Dutchess County Sheriff’s PBA, under the leadership of President Rich Branner, has established a program for high school students grades 9-12 in Dutchess County schools.
The program has been endorsed by Sheriff Adrian Anderson.
The Law Enforcement Explorer Program is a nationwide program chartered through the Boy Scouts of America and Learning for Life. The youth program is offered by hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the country and has been credited with creating a positive relationship between law enforcement and the community while providing hands-on training and experience in the field of law enforcement to young people in our area.
Locally, the program is sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America Hudson Valley Council and Learning for Life. It is open to high school students who are in good standing in their school and community, with a clean criminal history, who have a desire to learn more about law enforcement while exploring potential career opportunities in the criminal justice system.
Attendees can interact and learn in a safe environment with law-enforcement officers. Explorers, through team-building exercises, classroom instruction, physical fitness training, and numerous hands-on training activities will receive an appreciation for the challenges facing law enforcement and how they attempt to successfully accomplish their mission in our community.
The Dutchess PBA Explorer program is a multi-year program that runs concurrently with the school’s academic calendar. The meetings are held twice a month on Mondays from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the new Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Center at 108 Parker Avenue in Poughkeepsie. Tonight’s meeting will include an open house.
The cadets are introduced to the core functions of policing, including criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, and crime scene processing. The hands-on classes and demonstrations will be supplemented by classroom type instruction and field trips. Each session will be taught by highly trained professionals and certified instructors from the sheriff’s office.
Participants must fill out an application packet and complete the health and medical forms; have a good school record, a clear criminal background, and parental permission. This program is not intended or designed for children with disciplinary problems.
Deputy Joe Wasilewski said the Explorer Program is not a “boot camp” for troubled youth. Students interested should speak with their school’s resource officer or guidance counselor for information and a cadet application packet.
Applications are due by this Thursday.
