|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
As we celebrate School Safety Month, it’s important to recognize the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department’s (MDSPD) Police Explorer program.
This initiative provides invaluable hands-on experience and training for students interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement, allowing them to develop practical skills and gain insight into the responsibilities and challenges of being a police officer.
“Students get real life training of the things we do as police officers and understand why we do certain things,” said Officer Antonio Caparros, who oversees the Police Explorer program at John A. Ferguson Senior High. “They love the discipline that we teach them and the different scenarios they are trained for.”
MDSPD’s Police Explorer program currently has approximately 200 students enrolled from 20 middle and high schools. These students meet once a week after school, where they are trained by two police officers, referred to as “Police Explorer Advisors.” Students practice drills, re-enact scenarios such as domestic violence and traffic stops, as well as learn radio and arrest procedures. The curriculum is endless when it comes to training the students about law enforcement.
MDSPD has been working with the Police Explorer program for approximately 10 years, under the umbrella of Learning for Life, a division of Scouting America (formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America). Learning for Life offers programs designed to support and enhance the work of different career paths, such as law enforcement. These programs provide training, resources, and support to police officers, helping them develop essential skills, build positive relationships with their communities, and fulfill their roles effectively.
“The biggest thing [the program] has taught me is integrity and discipline. I’ve learned that we’re a team and not here to put each other down, but to elevate ourselves through the betterment of the community,” said Rodrigo Guevara, a Police Explorer at John A. Ferguson Senior High.
Guevara, who hopes to become a police officer, has been part of the program for four years and now has reached the leadership rank of chief. He said one of the aspects that has helped him the most is the drilling, which requires the discipline to dress the right way, work together, and succeed as a team. He now teaches other students about the program.
As part of the program, explorers volunteer at many local community events throughout Miami-Dade County such as food drives, feeding the homeless and participating in 5K runs.
“We get to experience how police officers do their job, but we are also always doing food drives, park or beach cleanups, supporting the schools and doing neighborhood watch,” said David Hernandez, a two-year police explorer at Coral Reef Senior High.
Every year there is a Summer Explorer Academy, where students get more in-depth and are exposed to the different policing strategies within the other agencies in Miami-Dade County. They also are given the opportunity to experience part of the curriculum of a Police Cadet in the police academy. Participating in the Summer Explorer Academy can give students more insight as to what to expect throughout the school year.
“I love knowing how real officers deal with scenarios. We train the same way real police officers would,” said Natalie Gonzalez, a senior at Ferguson and a commander in the program. “We go to training programs and do exactly what they do.”
Almost half of the students at the Ferguson Police Explorer program are women, as is the case in many of the schools, a fact Gonzalez is very proud of and sees as proof that they are making a difference in changing stereotypes.
Police Explorers also participate in a yearly Spring Competition, competing against the Police Explorers of approximately 22 police agencies from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties. Students compete in six scenarios: in-progress, traffic stops, domestic cases, Baker Acts, crime scene, and search and seizure, as well as a drill competition.
During the 2024 Spring Competition, MDSPD Explorers took home three trophies for the categories of in-progress, crime scene, and traffic stops.
“We’re preparing them for police careers and these competitions are based on what would a police officers do in a traffic stop, a burglary situation,” Caparros said.
Promoting a program that helps students gain discipline, leadership qualities and teaches them the skills of a potential career, while encouraging them to better their community through service, is just another reason why Miami-Dade County Public Schools is your best choice.
To enroll in the program, the students must be at least 14 years old and have a minimum GPA of 2.0 with no behavioral issues or suspensions from school. Any student interested in joining can email the Police Explorer Coordinator Officer at clabarrie@dadeschools.net.
Officer Colleen La Barrie is Police Explorer Coordinator, Miami-Dade Schools Police Department, Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
ABOUT US:
For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https://communitynewspapers.com.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Michael@communitynewspapers.com or Grant@communitynewspapers.com.
