Milton Explorers Excel At State-Wide Competition

MILTON, GA — The Milton Police Explorers Post 2570 had another successful year at the state and national level. Most recently, they finished third overall at the Law Enforcement Explorers Association of Georgia (LEEAG) State Conference at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) in Forsyth, Ga.

More than 200 Explorers from 20 different law enforcement agencies across the state attended the competition, July 12-14. The Milton Explorers placed in five of the seven events they competed in, taking home first and second place in Domestic Dispute, first and third place in Search Warrant, second place in Unknown Trouble, second place in Active Shooter, and third place in DUI.

The event categories allow for real-life scenarios, role playing, and interactive assessment by evaluators who are experts in their field. Participants must apply what they've learned, utilize critical thinking skills, and make time-sensitive decisions specific to each situation.

"Our Explorers program has been successful since it began in 2015, thanks to the dedication of the Explorers and their advisors," said Milton Police Chief Rich Austin. "To compete at this level and achieve this kind of recognition is a real testament to the program participants as well as the numerous Milton officers and non-sworn staff who dedicate their time to the future of law enforcement."

For the second year in a row, a Milton employee was named Advisor of the Year in Georgia, with Accreditation Manager Kathy Fies taking home the trophy for 2018-2019. The previous year, Officer Chad West earned the award.

This state-level success builds on the Explorer's accomplishments at the national level, as they placed in three events at the National Winterfest Explorer Competition in Tennessee earlier this year. The Explorers brought home first place in the Felony Traffic Stop and Suspicious Death competitions, third place in the Drug Identification competition, and fourth place in the Robbery in Progress competition.

Next up for the Explorers is the Metro Atlanta Championship of Exploring (MACE), which is held in October at the North Central Georgia Law Enforcement Academy in Austell, Ga.

Law Enforcement Exploring is the preeminent career orientation and experience program for young adults considering a career in law enforcement or criminal justice. Its mission is to offer young adults a personal awareness of the criminal justice system through training, practical experiences, competition, and other activities. The Milton Police Department Explorer Program is open young adults ages 14 and have completed the 8th grade up to young adults age 20 who want to learn about a career in law enforcement or criminal justice. For more information, please contact Officer Chad West at chad.west@cityofmiltonga.us.