By Murphy Grant
Associate Editor
[dropcap]E[/dropcap]very other Wednesday, senior Scott Blankenburg practices his handcuffing skills, SWAT training and ground fighting techniques. He does all of this through the Kill Devil Hills Police Department’s Explorer Program.
The Explorer Program gives young people ages 14 to 21 a chance to explore different career paths in criminal justice through hands-on activities. These activities include patrol procedure, crisis intervention, radio communication, crime scene search techniques, and shooting range practice. Every class is taught by a different officer and is tailored to what the students want to learn, said Kill Devil Hills officer Sarah McDowell, director of the program.
“This program is not simply a ‘club’ that the students can join,” McDowell said. “Besides serving as youth representatives of Kill Devil Hills Police Department, they are actually an important extension of the department.”
Blankenburg has been involved in the program for one year; he joined after he heard about the program through family friends. He recommends the program to anyone interested in criminal justice or some aspect of law enforcement. Blankenburg’s goal is to achieve the Merit award. He will qualify for this after completing at least 100 hours before he graduates from the program.
“It is a fun way to get off the streets and do something positive,” Blankenburg said.
The program has been around for three years. Currently, there are 11 members in the group but others are welcome, McDowell said. The Explorers meet the first and third Wednesday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m. at the KDH Police Department. Every hour spent in the program is counted as a volunteer hour. Each year there is a $12 fee to cover insurance, but after the fee is paid there are no more costs. The Explorers receive uniforms that they can wear in the community when participating in police-related activities, McDowell said.
“(The program) made me aware of the dangers out there in the world and how people can make it difficult for the police who are just trying to help (people) and do their jobs,” Blankenburg said.
Starting in December, the school will have a new criminal justice club partnering with the police department. The club will meet two times a month during empower time. The club is not just for students interested in law enforcement but any criminal justice career.
“The students in the club and the Explorers Program train with the officers while also keeping the officers sharp on their skills,” McDowell said. ”The students get just as much out of it as we do.”
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Contact Officer Sarah McDowell at (252)-449-5337, for additional information about the Explorer program or the new club.
