Lincolnshire Police Explorers win awards at state conference

Five Lincolnshire Police Explorers attended the Illinois State Law Enforcement Explorer Conference in Springfield earlier this month. A total of 298 Explorers from 32 police departments attended.

Explorers are high school and college-aged men and women who aspire to a career in law enforcement. They receive police related training on a weekly basis by law enforcement personnel. Training is hands-on and places them in situations police officers would encounter.

Once a year, Explorers have the opportunity to compete at a state or national conference. The training they have received is tested at the state level in scenario-based situations. Each Explorer Post is graded as a team on their performance in handling police-related activities including crisis negotiation, crime scene investigation, surveillance, firearms and more. Lincolnshire Explorers competed in 10 team events and placed in seven of them. They also earned several individual awards, including firearms marksmanship and the quickest time though an obstacle course.

Lincolnshire Explorers earned first place in Building Search, Domestics, Firearms Training Simulator — Decision Making, Team Obstacle Course, Surveillance, and Individual Advisor Obstacle Course; second place in Drill and Ceremony, Firearms Training Simulator — Marksmanship, and Individual Pistol Fire; and fourth place in Crime Scene Investigation.

Explorers in attendance at the state conference included: Explorer Chief Aaron Einhorn, Explorer Sergeant Yansey Cahue, Explorer Thomas Ackerman, Explorer Pablo Martinez, Explorer Benjamin Panitch and Sergeant/Advisor Jamie Watson

Aside from training, Explorers volunteer their time after school, on weekends, and holidays to provide community services to the public and help during emergency situations. The Lincolnshire Explorer Post volunteers more than 5,000 hours a year.

The Explorer Post is designed to prepare Explorers for careers in law enforcement. The Lincolnshire Police Explorer Post has been in operation since 1991. There have been 89 hires of Lincolnshire Explorers by 49 police departments.