Young members of Law Enforcement Explorers program honored during meeting

February 27, 2015 Jaime DeJesus

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photo by Jaime DeJesus

Share this:

Heads of the class!

Several young members of the Law Enforcement Explorers program at the 62^nd Precinct were recognized and honored for their dedication and work within the community during the precinct’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 17.

Parents were in attendance to watch their children, some as young as 13, receive awards given by Explorers Program coordinator, Officer Matthew Pierre.

“I’ve been doing the Explorer program for the last eight years and it’s been very successful. These kids come in from the age of 13 or 14 and some don’t leave until they are 20,” said Pierre, who also discussed the impact the program has both on the participants and the community.

“We have a very good program here. We do a lot of community service and they learn everything from the Police Department, like training and CPR. We try to teach them everything within the law and the most important thing is that we instill in them good citizenship. They’re here for the community that they serve.”

During the winter season, the Explorers also help shovel snow for the elderly who may not be able to on their own.

Captain William Taylor applauded the youngsters, stating that their persistence made him realize how important the program was to the community. “(One of the students) kept calling me and left messages about The Explorers program. I really didn’t capture the importance of having it and having these kids here. And those calls made me realize this.”

Taylor said that he had put Pierre on patrol to beef up police presence in the area. “It was one of the mistakes I made, though I don’t make many,” he joked. “I brought Pierre back and he’s here to stay with the Explorers.”

Kids received certificates and trophies for various achievements, including impressive school grades, improvement and volunteer work. The following day, they attended the Fellowship Dinner Dance award at Marina del Rey Caterers in the Bronx.

“They’re getting some well-deserved recognition,” said Taylor.

“This is not a program for bad kids. It’s a program for good kids. We want good kids to go in the right direction. If you put your kids in the right environment, you won’t have to worry about them,” added Pierre, who referred to former Explorer members who did such thing as going to the Police Academy and becoming a nurse. “The good thing about this program is that it’s very transparent. We have a meeting every Wednesday and we leave the door open at any time.”