Since the inception of Law Enforcement Exploring, Explorers in many posts have participated in ride-along programs with their participating organizations. As a result, the national Law Enforcement Exploring program guidelines offer direction to posts and agencies seeking to establish a ride-along program.
Ride-along certificates are provided at no cost to the post. For a post to participate, it should follow these steps:
1-1. Introduction
This guide is provided to assist in the establishment and development of Law Enforcement Explorer posts.
1-2. Law Enforcement Exploring
The intent of Law Enforcement Exploring is to educate and involve youth in police operations and to interest them in possible law enforcement function, whether or not they enter policing. Through their involvement, youth in the Law Enforcement Explorer program develop an awareness of the complexities of police service. If the program is properly administered, any reliable citizen can become involved with program management and direction, although police personnel remain the key to post success.
Although Exploring depends on volunteer leadership, professional Exploring/Learning for Life executives are also available in local communities.
1-3. Program Objectives
Several approaches are used to achieve the objectives of Law Enforcement Exploring. One of these is the regular meetings at which representatives of various law enforcement agencies (federal, state, county, and local) meet with participants of Law Enforcement Explorer posts for a hands-on training or activity.
Another approach is the ride-along Exploring program. At the discretion and direction of the appropriate agency, participants of the post can observe field activities of the police firsthand. Law Enforcement Exploring has established clear guidelines that are designed to maintain the effectiveness of the field officer and at the same time provide the safety of the ride-along participant.
Although most Law Enforcement Exploring activities are educational in nature, other program areas are included. Participants are exposed to more than field operation. By participating in the program provided, Law Enforcement Explorers are given the opportunity to broaden their understanding and firsthand knowledge of the challenges and job skills that make up their community's police service.
Besides gaining a working knowledge of policing, the participants have the opportunity to give themselves to their community. Many departments use the help of Law Enforcement Explorers in such areas as crime prevention, community service, recordkeeping, radio, and telecommunications. These activities are done under the supervision of department participants and demonstrate that Exploring can provide more than a superficial orientation to law enforcement. Refer to the policy on Covert Operations.
The presence of a Law Enforcement Explorer post within any agency can be a positive factor in influencing departmental attitudes. Post participants are given an opportunity to see firsthand the efforts of commissioned personnel. They later can discuss their observations with their peer group. Because Explorers are in the more impressionable years of young adulthood, it is here that the basic tenets of civic responsibility can best be instilled. In addition, commissioned personnel normally exposed to youth involved with criminal offenses can relate to the positive side of young America. Exploring provides the law enforcement community an opportunity to further an investment in its own future through relationships with already healthy and secure young adults.
One method for developing and expanding Exploring is through a task force encompassing a number of cities or counties. On a statewide level, Exploring will benefit from a mutual aid concept in which posts are able to share procedures and program administration documents, and even more important, coordinate training and social activities. It is possible that a number of contiguous councils might elect to join together in a multicouncil task force. Refer to activities involving multiple posts.
An approach is most successful when already functional Law Enforcement Explorer posts can serve as models or assist in filling leadership positions during initial expansion. Impact luncheons, scheduled individual meetings between department heads, and workshops for potential post Advisors are all helpful.
2-1. Eligibility Requirements
Participation in Law Enforcement Explorer posts, as in all Explorer posts, is open to young adults ages 14, and graduated from the eighth grade, through 20, or 15 through 20 years.
Because of the nature of the Law Enforcement Explorer program, some law enforcement participating organizations establish additional guidelines, which might include
2-2. Training
Law Enforcement Exploring, by its very nature, is only an orientation into the police profession. Therefore, it is not expected that participating agencies invest great numbers of hours in the development of post participants. However, for the police/Explorer interface to be effective, it is essential, as in the case of commissioned personnel, that a proper training foundation be laid. Most departments large enough to operate a full training program have found that motivation, discipline, and adherence to procedures are the positive by-products of the training experience. It is recognized that demographics do not provide in every instance for a fully structured Explorer training program. However, it is clearly in the interest of Law Enforcement Exploring generally for departments to cooperate regionally for the pooling of resources and facilities.
Because of the geographic dissimilarities of Law Enforcement Explorer posts, many subjects will be part of an ongoing training program. The number of hours needed to cover each subject should be determined by the supporting agency or agencies, whose mission and geographic positioning dictate the types of police services rendered. In developing training resources, each agency should consider the assistance available from outside agencies as well as their own. Organizations not actively operating a post are often willing to lend the talents of their personnel.
Training topics should include
2-3. Duties and Activities
Law Enforcement Explorers, through training and completion of in-service academies, often can be involved with the more complex activities of the agency. However, each participating agency, in order to minimize risk exposure, should have a formal procedure that sets specific guidelines for determining the degree of Explorer involvement in law enforcement activities.
In developing written procedures, each department should ensure that Explorer involvement is meaningful but at the same time restricted enough to preclude unnecessary exposure to potentially dangerous situations. Obvious examples include domestic disputes, pursuits, or participation in felony-in-progress dispatches. Federal and state regulations regarding privacy and confidentiality mean that police agencies must carefully consider Explorer involvement in such activities as interrogations, searches, and seizures.
All departments maintaining a Law Enforcement Explorer program must recognize that the duties of their commissioned personnel run the entire gamut of law enforcement action and service. An Explorer participating in police service delivery could be confronted immediately with the condition requiring a high-profile response on the part of the officer, which would constitute a police action.
The police mission can be divided into two parts:
Police service is that assistance rendered by police to a citizen or a group of citizens. Continuance of the service depends on the citizen or community group. A department can use both commissioned and noncommissioned personnel in nearly all service settings. The following is a list of a few examples of police service:
2-4. Uniform
Every law enforcement agency should establish uniform dress and appearance codes. The code should be commensurate with community standards and compatible with those for uniformed commissioned personnel. This does not mean strict conformance with department hair regulations for uniformed officers.
Explorers participating in police activities should be neatly dressed, wearing the uniform specified by the department. To minimize confusion on the part of the citizenry and to ensure that the Explorer is properly identified as such, it is recommended that the uniform be noticeably different in color and style from that worn by police officers. Because of cost considerations and lesser wear requirements, the uniforms should be of lighter weight fabric.
2-5. Equipment
Explorers participating in department programs should be restricted to carrying equipment that relates directly to activities in which they are involved. Generally, this should be limited to notebook, pen, flashlight, and whistle.
As noncommissioned volunteer personnel, Explorers are expected to neither use nor carry firearms or nonlethal weapons such as chemical mace or batons. Post programs may include firearms training.
2-6. Covert Activities
Explorers are prohibited from performing covert acts or acts that might undermine the role of Law Enforcement Exploring in the community. Any agency electing to utilize Explorers as private citizens in covert operations does so with the clear understanding that its unit of government is solely responsible for any civil damages and legal or medical complications that might arise from such an activity.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Law Enforcement Exploring program should develop explicit guidelines and standard operating procedures concerning all activities in which their Explorers are involved and those from which they should be excluded.
2-7. Ride-Along Program
As discussed above, the ride-along program provides the Explorer with an opportunity to observe the field activity of police. It is one element of the total Law Enforcement Explorer program and should be well-supervised and managed judiciously. Specific ride-along guidelines are outlined below.
National Law Enforcement Ride-Along
2-8. Driving Policy
No Law Enforcement Explorer (whether or not in uniform) should drive a marked patrol vehicle. The exception to this policy is an authorized competition in which an adult law enforcement official rides in the front passenger seat.
2-9. Bloodborne Pathogens Policy
Questions have been raised regarding the position of Learning for Life on OSHA's Regulation for Bloodborne Pathogens (29 CFR Section 1910.1030) as it relates to Exploring's adult volunteers, youth participants, and participating organizations.
This position statement is for those individuals who may be exposed to blood and body fluids, for example
Download a Hepatitis B Vaccine Declination form.
3-1. Purpose
3-2. Local Ride-Along Guidelines
Every law enforcement agency should establish a detailed written procedure for its ride-along program.
Many law enforcement agencies have programs that give citizens an opportunity to be exposed to patrol duties. Law Enforcement Explorers, by virtue of special training and completion of in-service academies, logically can be involved in more complex activities than the average citizen. However, in minimizing its risks, each participating agency should formalize a procedure that maximizes the discretion of on-site commissioned personnel.
3-3. Training
Explorer orientation. It is recommended that before ride-along involvement, the Explorer receive orientation consisting minimally of
3-4. Duties
At all times, the duties of the Explorer will be under the direction of the officer with whom the Explorer is riding. They may include
3-5. Schedule
3-6. Ride-Along Options
When policy conditions or the judgment of on-site commissioned personnel indicate that it is appropriate to terminate Explorer participation in a particular police activity, pre-established methods for disengaging ride-along participants should be used. Each department must consider its own needs and public expectations in developing options. Methods that have been found workable are listed below:
Option A. Upon receiving a call, the officer in charge responds to the scene while directing the Explorer to remain with the vehicle to provide communications assistance or call for a backup if such is indicated.
Option B. Upon receiving a call, the officer pulls over to the first convenient location and radios the position of the Explorer so that another unit can pick up the Explorer while the dispatched officer proceeds to the assignment.
The extent to which Explorers are introduced into police calls or service responses should be the responsibility of the individual police officer and consistent with department directives. However, in the event that the officer does not believe continued participation to be appropriate, either option A or option B would be a proper disengaging method.
3-7. Insurance
Participating Explorers are covered by the Learning for Life liability insurance policy. All injuries or situations should be reported to the local Learning for Life office within 24 hours.
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