Rescue Humor The Entertaining Side of Police, Fire & EMS
This weekend I had the great opportunity to be a judge for a competition for area Police Explorers. Sixteen different police explorer posts competed in this competition. Most were from city police departments, but a few sheriff department explorers came also.
I have to admit that when my alarm went off at 5:30am on Saturday I questioned why I volunteered for this. Giving up a Saturday off. Having to wake up early.
Police Explorers Logo
Knowing I will be on my feet all day. Being told we will be done by 3pm but knowing these things always run late.
Arriving at the event location there was still questions in my head why I volunteered.
Then the police explorers began to arrive. Excited chatter filled the halls of the school we were using. Young people in uniforms wandering around seeking out friends from other explorer posts.
Eventually the competition got underway. These police explorers were competing by role playing police officers in mock Traffic Stops, a mock crime scene, a domestic disturbance response, and a room clearing senario. I have got to say what I saw from these Police Explorers was great.
If you are not familiar with the explorer program, it is a off shoot of Boy Scouts. Kids 15-20 are able to join programs that are sponsored by police departments to learn about police work. There are other explorer programs for other career paths also. The police explorers are as you can imagine focused on police work.
Now for the most part when I meet a 15-20 year old kid it is because they did something stupid. Driving too fast, underage drinking, property damage issues, teenager stuff. Also for the most part when I meet teens they are rude, disrespectful, and generally annoying.
The kids I saw and talked to on Saturday were the exact opposite. They all acted professional. Some taking the extra step to mentor younger members of their groups. I quickly found my self happy I came, versus the dread I had been feeling when my alarm went off.
This was a good reminder, not all kids are bad. As an officer every day I see people who are in need of police attention. But for everyone doing things that require corrective action by the police, there are also some good people, who we get never meet.
