The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has a long term partnership with the youth in the community to provide mentorship and learning opportunities through the Police Explorer program. All six patrol stations operate a Police Explorer Post.
The Explorer Program is designed to educate and involve the youth of the community in police operations and interest them in law enforcement functions whether they aspire to enter police work or not. It establishes an awareness of the complexities of police services and broadens an Explorer’s firsthand knowledge of the challenges and job skills that make up our communities’ police services. The goal of the Explorer Program is to develop the leaders of the future.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office will be taking 120 Police Explorers on a three-day educational camping trip to Camp Three Falls in the Lockwood Valley. The trip is being planned in partnership with the Ventura County Chapter of the Boy Scouts.
The Explorer Program is seeking donations of new, mild – climate sleeping bags (30F to 50F degree rating) or camping tents before May 25, 2019. The sleeping bags and tents will not only assist the young adults to experience the outdoors for this trip, but will assist other Explorer trips in the future.
The youth program utilizes deputies and Sheriff’s Office personnel who work closely with young adults and are committed to helping our explorers in their personal development. Our ongoing interactions with Explorer participants will help them lay the groundwork for their future success. Many of our former Explorers pursue careers in public service, law enforcement, or in the military.
Studies show reaching children at an early age through mentoring programs help youth to resist or mitigate the risk factors of violence and enhance skills that lead to healthy and positive lives. When youth are connected to caring individuals they are more likely to resist negative influences and increase self-confidence, self-efficacy and improve their attitudes about the future. Mentoring has been proven to help youth achieve academic success and significantly reduces the likelihood that they will ever commit crimes.
Items for the Explorers can be donated to the Thousand Oaks Police Charitable Foundation. The sleeping bag or tents can be dropped off Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, at the Thousand Oaks Police Station at 2101 East Olsen Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 or purchased through Amazon at the following link:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2KQGUDI0FFY19?ref_=wl_share
For further information on making a monetary donation or about the Explorer Program, please contact Sergeant Dillan Alvarez at (805) 494-8256 or email: [email protected]
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