Junior Cadets Get Their Blues in Sheriff's Explorer Program

While many students in their last years of high school are pondering the exact route of their professional lives, around 25 young adults from Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, San Leandro and Hayward are resolutely on the fast track to becoming part of the law enforcement community through the Alameda County Sheriff's Office Explorer Program.

High school student resource officers (SROs) recruit promising students between 16 and 21 to look into the program, and sent to recieve training in a number of specialties including forensics, filing evidence, working on boats, driving, booking prisoners and handling firearms.

"They’re going to learn exactly what a police officer does through the normal course of a day," said Sheriff's Deputy Shawn Wilson who is leading the current program. 

A partnership with the organization Learning for Life has provided the educational structure for the Explorer program which allows high school students between 16 and 20 to receive training in virtually any field. The organization is built on teaching young adults to be responsible and productive members of their communities.

"We've talked about rules and what it takes to be a cop," said Castro Valley High School senior Andrea Meldova. "The [program] makes me feel like it's something I can do in the future."

Meldova found out about the the Explorers Program from the CVHS Student Resource Officer, Sheriff's deputy Tim Vales. As a high-achieving student, Vales encouraged her to pursue her interest in law enforcement. 

"She wanted to get involved and she jumped on board when we got [the program] rolling," said Vales.

Any student is welcome to join the program, but there are certain criteria a student has to meet in order to be eligible to join.

"We recommend [the program] to everybody," said Vales. "But you can't be in trouble, you can't be a discipline problem, you can't smoke weed and you have to carry a 2.0 grade point average." 

Despite its current successes, the program has had its difficulties.

"Before [Wilson] took over, it didn't have any leadership. The guy that started it dropped the ball let it die," said Vales.

The program has blossomed under Wilson's leadership, according to Vales.

"[The cadets] have worked basketball games, promotions, and have done three field trips."

Cadets have also visited Santa Rita Jail, trained on a police course, gone to a shooting range and have been trained in a simulation of pursuit.

"The biggest obstacle right now is the funding," said Wilson. "You’d hate to tell a kid they can’t be an explorer because they don't have the money."

The uniforms alone are up to $150 per cadet, which is not affordable for all who would like to participate.

Wilson hopes that with outside funding, the program can accommodate up to 100 kids from each school.

Donations for the program can be sent to the following address:

Deputy Sheriff's Association
6689 Owens Dr., Suite 100
Pleasanton CA, 94588