Explorer
Program
LAPD's
Juvenile Division -
(213) 486-0500
http://www.lapdonline.org/juvenile_division
~~~~
The
Law Enforcement Explorer Program was established in 1962. The
purpose of the Explorer Program is to provide special training
for young people interested in and preparing for a career in law
enforcement.
Program Goals
The Department's Explorer Program has three principal goals:
 |
Recruit
and prepare young men and women for future careers in law
enforcement by offering a positive relationship between police
and the youth of our community; |
|
Provide
a forum in which young people can provide non-hazardous community
services, thereby relieving police officers for other assignments;
and, |
|
Provide
solid training toward the development of better citizens and
better physical fitness for all youth that participate in
the program. |
Program Criteria
The Explorer Program has a stringent selection process and only
accepts the most qualified applicants. The criteria to become
an explorer is as follows:
|
Be
at least 14 years of age and in the 9th grade, or 15 through
20 years of age (regardless of grade); |
|
Pass
a background investigation; |
|
Maintain
at least a 2.0 grade point average through the 12th grade; |
|
Have
no serious criminal record; |
|
Maintain
good moral character; |
|
Be
free of any physical deficiencies that would jeopardize the
explorer, or others in the program; |
|
Obtain
a medical examination (to qualify for medical insurance); |
|
Pass
an oral interview; |
|
Write
an autobiography; |
|
Demonstrate
a willingness to serve and participate in explorer activities;
and, |
|
Complete
and graduate from the Explorer Academy. |
Program
Outreach
The Law Enforcement Explorer Program is active in all 18 geographic
Areas. Explorer Program participants are recruited from all segments
of the community. Each geographic Area's Community Relations Office
(CRO) is responsible for their Area's Explorer Program. Area CRO
personnel continuously recruit explorer participants through their
various recruitment events and community meetings. Department
personnel also work in conjunction with local schools in their
recruitment efforts. The Department currently has 491 active explorers
citywide.
The following is a breakdown of active explorers per geographic
bureau:
Learning
for Life Expenditures
Each geographic Area explorer post registers their explorer recruits
with Learning for Life prior to the recruit participating in the
program. The annual cost for registration and accidental insurance
coverage is $7.60 per explorer. The accident insurance coverage
is renewed when the explorer post re-charters with Learning for
Life.
Academy Expenditures
The cost to finance an explorer recruit through the explorer academy
is $697.47 per recruit. The Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention
Act (JJCPA)/Schiff-Cardenas Grant has covered the costs for the
last five explorer academy classes.
The following
expenses are in addition to the explorer academy expenditures:
|
Refreshments
and food for explorers who participate in crime prevention
and community service events; |
|
Expenses
for equipment that is necessary to participate in community
service, crime prevention events, and national and local competitions; |
|
Expenses
for educational and competition explorer trips that focus
on training and leadership; and, |
|
Expense
for outfitting the Explorer Color Guard for special events. |
Program Funding
Grant Funding
The JJCPN/Schiff-Cardenas Grant has allocated $120,000 in funds
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004/05, to finance the cost of conducting
two explorer academy classes, including all operational and training
expenditures. The Los Angeles County Probation Department approves
and oversees the use of all JJCPN/Schiff-Cardenas Grant funds within
Los Angeles County.
Prior to the JJCPN/Schiff-Cardenas Grant, the Department's explorer
posts relied on fundraisers and private donations to finance their
operating costs. The funds raised were used to pay for the expenses
of having an explorer recruit participate in the explorer academy
and to cover post- academy costs.
Private Funding
The Robinson Foundation for the Hearing Disorders, Inc., in association
with the Ray Charles Foundation, donated $15,000 for FY 2004/05,
to help support the Explorer Program at Southwest, Newton and 77th
Street Areas. The sum of $5,000 was allocated to each of the three
geographic Area explorer posts.
