To all LEO's that were police explorers. Did being an explorer help you with your job

[Justice4all]

Hello, I am currently highly involved with the police explorers. I am with the post in my city's police department, and I am also a member of the county sheriff's explorer post. I feel I have truelly learned alot about law enforcement, and I feel that my experience will make the job easier for me in my future. To all LEO's who have spent time in explorers before going into law enforcement, want impact did explorers have on your career?

[ChesCopPodz]

While I wasn't an explorer, I will give this advice, don't let your explorer experience lead you to believe you know it all already when you get hired. I have no bias against explorers and think it's a good program, but I knew quite a few officers who were explorers and were about run out of the station while they were in FTO because they thought they knew everything since they were explorers.

[Sierra]

It's actually kinda hard to say.

I was an Explorer with two local agencies, although not at the same time. I am now a fed doing immigration. What Explorers gave me was a familiarity with what the locals/state do. I don't do traffic stops (that's BP), I don't do domestic violence response, stuff like that.

It did give me a better concept on how to approach vehicles and houses. I know what the locals are looking for when they do certain tasks.

Of all my fellow Explorers, I am the only one I know of that went feral, I mean federal. ;)

[ChaosXIW]

We had a young man who was a cadet(same as explorer) for our department. He ended up working with me at the same detachment out of the academy. In our FTO program, if you did not encounter a certain scenario, i.e. a handgun seizure, prior to the end of field training, you had to complete a mock arrest packet so you weren't completely lost when the day came that you made a concealed weapons arrest. Our FT program was 8 weeks, with the possibility of being extended or being released early at six weeks. This particular cadet had not encountered a CDS or handgun arrest, so he completed the mock scenarios early. When he wasn't released at six weeks by the Captain, he proceeded to challenge the First Sgt. who runs the FTO program. His exact words were "when I was a cadet, I rode with officers who handled CDS arrests. I've even seen a couple fatal accidents. I'm ready, but it's obvious that you don't really release anyone at six weeks because I should be released already." He completed all the "mock" scenarios and had all this experience as a cadet.

Lets just say he rubbed a few people the wrong way. Don't be that guy. He is indeed a good officer and a good guy in general, but the "I already know it all" approach is highly improper and dangerous to boot. Thankfully out of the dozen or so cadets out of my academy, maybe three behave in that manner. Yes, you gain some valuable experience from being an explorer, and as with my dept, you gain some time towards retirement. Just remember that when you walk into the Academy and out of it onto Field Training, you are no better than the next guy. Just because you lived it a little as an explorer doesn't mean you don't require the same training. Believe me, the explorers that have the "I'm a three year veteran" mentality get a LOT of extra attention in the academy and the field.

And don't go challenging the brass four weeks out of the Academy....that's a good way to get crapped on for 25 years.

[Nole795]

I know several explorers that were hired as officers when they got older.