Explorer program gives teens ‘real world’ look at police

By Erika Wurst For Chronicle Media
Some of the 40 East Aurora High School students who participated in a seven-week Junior Deputy Program through the Kane County Sheriff’s Department this summer. (Photo courtesy of Kane Co. Sheriff’s Dept.)

Some of the 40 East Aurora High School students who participated in a seven-week Junior Deputy Program through the Kane County Sheriff’s Department this summer. (Photo courtesy of Kane Co. Sheriff’s Dept.)

In an effort to bridge a widening gap between law enforcement and youth, sheriff departments in both Kane and Kendall counties recently launched programs that aim to teach teens about careers and life in law enforcement.

“Any time police have the opportunity to interact with the members of the public and the people we serve, it’s a positive thing. It allows them to get a better understanding of our procedures and why we do a thing a certain way,” said Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird.

With this in mind, Baird has teamed up with the Yorkville Police Department to form a youth Explorers Program. The program, which is for teens ages 15 to 20, was designed to teach the duties and responsibilities of police and to create an alliance between deputies and the youth they serve.

The group’s formation wasn’t a direct result of the national state of police and public affairs, but will certainly help in uniting the citizens and their law enforcement officers, Baird said.

“Obviously with what’s going on around the world now and what’s being reported, a lot of people look at police and wonder why things are done a certain way,” Baird said. “If people don’t come out and get an education from local police on what it is we do, then they draw their own conclusions and perceptions from TV, and TV is very different from the real world.”

Real world hands-on experience is exactly what Explorer program participants can expect if they enroll, Baird said.

Earlier this month, about 15 students from Yorkville and Newark high schools showed up to learn more about the program. Baird is hoping at least 20 students are eventually accepted. During the program, participants will learn about all aspects of law enforcement — working with judges, prosecutors, and professionals from local, county, state, federal and military law enforcement organizations.

They’ll learn about safety procedures and traffic control, and be trained on search and rescue. Baird called them the “youth auxiliary” and when they are fully-trained, participants can be brought in to assist in certain law enforcement scenarios.

“They learn a lot of hands-on stuff,” Baird said.

In Kane County, a similar program just finished-up for the season.

The Kane County Sheriff Department’s first Junior Deputy Program brought together 40 East Aurora High School students who participated in a seven-week program over the summer where they learned about all things criminal justice.

Kane County Sheriff Don Kramer said that because of the department’s strong relationship with East Aurora’s ROTC program, the group was first to be solicited to participate. More than 300 students signed-up to be in the program, but only a handful could be chosen.

The lucky 40 participated in weekly two-hour classes where they got to sit in on a trial, visit the S.W.A.T. and Bomb Squads, do simulated shooting exercises and tasted a cross-section of the law enforcement world.

During this all, they also learned about cultural diversity and race relations, Kramer said.

“A lot of people have this image of cops and how they conduct themselves,” he said. “I think this program is good for youth especially because after hanging out with us for seven weeks, they realize we are regular people and have families just like they do. We have African Americans here and Hispanics. We are diverse.”

The Junior Deputy Program, which is run by volunteer officers, deputies, judges and other guests, requires little to no funding, and is proving to be a great way to educate young adults and excite them about future careers in law enforcement, both Baird and Kramer noted.

“This gives them the opportunity to see through our eyes. I think it breaks down barriers that some people in society exhibit toward law enforcement,” Kramer said.
HOW TO JOIN

Registration for the Kendall/Yorkville Explorers Post is still open.

The program is open to any young adult age 15 to 20 who lives in Kendall County or attends a school located in Kendall County and has an interest in criminal justice or law enforcement.

For more information contact policeexplorers@co.kendall.il.us.

 

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