Highlands-Building on a strong foundation on which the Post was formed in 2007 and having teens who are interested in the program enough to dedicate themselves to the degree it needs are the real keys to having a successful and very popular Police Explorer Post.
That’s the opinion of Explorer Post 1900 Advisor Patrolman Connor J. McGrath,, Badge #34 on the local police department. McGrath, who together with Ptl. Alex Braswell heads the post in the borough, freely admits it takes a lot of time and energy to maintain a successful program in addition to regular police work.
But the rewards are well worth it.
Ptl. Braswell himself is proof of the excellence of the program in this borough and as such is also a model for the boys and girls in the post who range from 14 to 18 years of age. An officer on the department for two years, he was in Post 1900 as a teenager. In fact, four members of the local department are former police explorers during their high school years.
It’s the model these officers set and the stories they can tell prospective Explorers that serve as key ingredients in a very active recruiting program and maintaining memberships throughout a person’s teen years.
McGrath was recommended for the advisory position to Police Chief Robert Burton by Det. Corp. George Ruth and the Chief wholeheartedly endorsed it.
“I knew both these officers would be excellent leaders for our teenagers,” the chief said, “and was happy to name them to the co-advisory positions after they told me how enthusiastic they both were for the opportunity to work with the group. They are living proof police officers are not only educators in a variety of studies they might never be able to experience otherwise, but they also learn there are exciting experiences they can enjoy without needing to try drugs, take chances or look at police officers as enemies.”
“The explorer program is an assignment that goes above the normal patrol aspect of police work and can be quite involved,” McGrath said. “Our post meets regularly twice a month, and that’s in addition to the other days when they come in for various trainings and physical fitness programs.”
Explorers also have to attend the Police Explorer Academy; there is a physical aspect to it as part of the program, so post members request, and receive, additional training days to work out and get in shape.
Both boys and girls from Highlands and the surrounding area, including Atlantic Highlands and Middletown where there are also active posts, belong to the post, and all the posts work together on numerous activities throughout the year.
The twice monthly meetings generally include some training on a variety of law enforcement subjects, with the classwork part of the program coinciding with the physical trainings full time Police Officers receive. Post members are always eager to volunteer for community events where they can be of assistance. This year, they have been involved in a broad variety of activities, including traffic control which they did during the recent Bike New York as well as collecting debris and cleaning local parks during the Highlands Earth Day Event.
“Our post prides itself not only on the quality of program we have built, but the quality and character of the explorer once he has moved on from our program,” McGrath pointed out.
But while they are members, there is no doubt the one unique experience that adds to the Post experience for all of them is the honor of wearing the post uniform and the efforts it takes each Explorer in earning the right to earn this honor.
“ We do full uniform inspections of the explorers and they exhibit a large sense of pride in their appearance as a result,” both McGrath and Braswell agree. “Once they complete the Explorer Academy they are given their full Class A uniform,” Braswell explained in highlighting how the program works. “Then when they complete emergency medical training and attend at least one summer at the Explorer Academy they can then sign up to conduct “ride alongs” with full time officers. Possibly because of this experience and their recognition of their ability to work in the field of law enforcement, many explorers have gone on to complete this program and pursued careers in law enforcement.” That is evidenced in this program alone with the number of former explorers, like Braswell, now with the local department.
Post members like the coordination of programs and activities with other explorer posts, they all agree. Braswell and McGrath maintain a strong relationship with the other post advisors and as a result, the Highlands post is very active and coordinates and attends other post’s events and works frequently with some of the larger programs in the area. “It’s difficult,” McGrath admits, to schedule and coordinate with some of the others sometimes, but it’s worth all the effort and the post members learn so much and appreciate the new experiences.”
Building a Police Explorer Program cannot be done overnight, the advisors say, speaking from their own experience. But the key to success is the kids themselves. “If we went around and solicited for our program by telling kids in lieu of borough ordinance violations or instead of getting in trouble they could join the program, it would never work, “ McGrath said. “That’s because there would no dedication involved. It took our predecessors quite some time to build a program and our aim is to have today’s teens continue its excellence, help it to grow and continue to help wherever they are needed in the community.”
“This may be a full time assignment on its own,” both officers agree, but are quick to add, “it is also one of the most rewarding ones that we have. Being able to work with the explorers and teach them a sense of responsibility and the importance of character is an aspect of this job is an experience each of us will appreciate forever.”
Teens in the area interested in joining this Explorer Post can e-mail Ptl. McGrath at cmcgrath@highlandsborough.org
