By KATHARINE FRIEDMAN
Correspondent
Young boys and girls dream of becoming many things when they grow up, and some want to be firefighters, pilots or police officers.
Children in the Learning for Life program, an affiliate of Boy Scouts of America, have the opportunity to make their dreams become reality by learning about careers.
Over 280 Boy Scouts of America councils make life-changing events possible for hundreds of thousands of children in the country, including Keyport. Under the leadership of the Keyport Police Department, children age 11-16 can become a Police/Junior Explorer and work alongside the men and women in blue.
Explorers learn through hands-on experience what it takes to have a career in law enforcement. Participants study traffic and criminal law, firearms safety (with permission slips signed by their parents/guardians), community policing and more. Explorers are also taught lifelong skills such as interview techniques, how to shake hands properly and act accordingly when on the job.
“We try to empower them,” said Lisa Griffin, a part-time officer at the Keyport Police Department, instructor at the Monmouth County Police Academy and one of the volunteer advisors since 2013.
Explorers also work several events in Keyport. They can always been seen with yellow uniforms saying “Explorer” monitoring traffic and helping people have a great time. Explorers even conduct their meetings every first and third Monday at the Keyport Police Station with their own police chief, sergeant and lieutenants. Explorers also go on many trips across New Jersey — a favorite being the Police Expo in Atlantic City, where they can see upcoming technology for police departments.
A special honor this year for the Explorers will be taking part in Wreaths Across America on Dec. 17. They will place Christmas wreaths on the graves of veterans at Somerset Hills Memorial Park in Basking Ridge.
Being a part of the Explorers program is beneficial to children who are interested in law enforcement.
“It is a great launching pad for kids who decide to go into law enforcement,” said Griffin. “They get a nice feel for it.”
Some Explorers have become police officers or have gotten involved in law enforcement. Bobby Deegan, a former junior Explorer and now advisor from Matawan, has been with the program since high school and now works with the Keyport Police as a part-time dispatcher.
“It got me into law enforcement,” said Deegan, but not everyone wishes to become a police officer. “Even if [Explorers] don’t go into law enforcement, they are taught skills in daily life,” he said.
The Police/Junior Explorers program will continue to be a part of Keyport Township and grows each year.
“It’s a good program [that] fosters a great relationship with police officers; it’s a great community relations tool,” said Griffin.
For more information about the Police/Junior Explorers program, visit http://www.exploring.org/law-enforcement.