Police Explorers get tested by crime scenarios

Ormond Beach hosts state meeting of youth groups.

By Wayne Grant
| 5:15 p.m. October 2, 2016

A police dog demonstrates how he would grab the arm of a perpetrator. Photo by Wayne Grant

Ormond Beach Explorers Kirsten Scherer, chief; Amber Hergert; Brooke Hergert; and Dakota Bejo attended the attended the state meeting. Not able to attend was Bradley Peterson. All go to Seabreeze High School, except Dakota who attends Mainland.

Explorers interview a witness who in a mock crime scenario. Photo by Wayne Grant

Explorers got to meet the police dog. Photo by Wayne Grant

Dakota Bejo talks to someone in a domestic violence case to determine if someone should be arrested. Photo by Wayne Grant

Explorers learn how to lift fingerprints. Photo by Wayne Grant

Ormond Beach Observer
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There was domestic violence, sexual assault, DUI, a missing child and an active shooter Oct. 1 at Kaiser University in Daytona Beach. Thankfully, they were mock scenarios in the annual meeting of state Explorer programs, hosted by Ormond Beach Police Explorers and the school.
Police Explorers is a program that gives young people age 14-21 the chance to explore a career in law enforcement by working with a law enforcement agency. The Ormond Beach advisor is Office Lauran Sanders, who said OBPD hosted the event eight years ago, and reached out to Kaiser because they also co-hosted at that time.
Other situations faced by the 200 Explorers from around the state involved issues of homelessness, parental custody and mental illness. They were tested on their knowledge of police work, assessment of the situation and decision making.
In the domestic violence scene, the two actors tried to tell the Ormond Beach Explorers that nothing happened, as often happens in real life. But after the interviews, the Explorers determined there should be an arrest, and it turned out to be the correct decision.
However, the instructor told them they should have done something with two knives that were lying on a table before they started the interviews.
There were also demonstrations and lectures. A drug enforcement officer gave tips on how to dress and act when going undercover and showed a video of a police sting.
The Explorers also learned how to lift fingerprints and heard a detective talk about the importance of having a mentor.

THE STUDENTS’ VIEW

“It’s fun. I enjoy it,” said Explorer Dakota Bejo, about Explorers. He plans to go to a police academy and eventually work as a deputy for Volusia County.
He said he’s drawn to police work because it’s not routine, with something different every day.
But some explorers are not pursuing a career as a police officer, such as Amber Hergert who plans to be registered nurse.
“It’s a great experience,” she said. “We learn what police go through.”
The organization also provides an opportunity to learn if law enforcement is a career they want to pursue. Amber’s sister, Brooke, said when she was young she wanted to be an officer, but now had decided it’s not for her.
Kirsten Scherer, the Explorer chief, said it’s an opportunity to see both sides of a situation, from the citizen and the officer. She also enjoys going on police ride-alongs.

GIVING BACK

Sanders was an Explorer as a teenager.
“I went to a meeting and fell in love with it,” she said. “You learn something new every day and it’s like a family.”
Also, she said, she received valuable mentorship when she was an Explorer, and she wants to give back and be a good mentor herself.
Faculty, graduates, and student volunteers from Keiser University’s criminal justice, crime scene technology and medical assisting degree programs partnered with high school students as volunteers in the scenarios. The scenarios were led and judged by law enforcement from throughout Volusia County.
For information about Explorers, call OBPD at 677-0731 and ask for Officer Sanders or email [email protected].