Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 4, 1993 TAG: 9303040388
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By RANDY WALKER SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
SCOUTS EXPLORE LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER
Bobby Cockram, 16, became interested in law enforcement through his brother-in-law, a police officer."He loves what he does, and he's really dedicated to it," said Cockram, a junior at Cave Spring High School.
To learn more about police work, Cockram joined the Roanoke Police Department Explorer post. His brother-in-law, Robert Harman, is an officer in the Police Department, which sponsors and trains the Explorer post. The post is part of Exploring, a Boy Scouts of America program designed to help young adults investigate potential careers.
The Explorers meet every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. to learn about police work.
On a recent Thursday, 14 Explorers were sitting in a classroom at the Roanoke Police Academy on Kirk Avenue, listening to Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell explain the intricacies of the court system.
They have covered such topics as animal control, firearm safety, close-order drill and getting people out of cars - the same training given to police cadets, said Police Lt. Steve Wills, adviser to the post.
"They sit through the same classes and have to pass a test by a certain amount. Of course, we don't kick 'em out if they fail it; they have a chance to do it again. Eventually they will be allowed to ride in vehicles with police officers."
Law enforcement Explorer posts have been around since the beginning of Exploring in the 1960s, said Skip Hinshaw, district executive of the Blue Ridge Mountains Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
The purpose of Exploring is to provide community organizations an effective young-adult program to improve character, citizenship and fitness, according to Boy Scout literature.
Exploring is open to males and females aged 14-21. "A lot of kids, until they sign up, don't know it's a division of the Boy Scouts," Hinshaw said.
Most Explorer posts are organized around a particular hobby or career interest, such as computers, health careers or law enforcement. There are nine Explorer posts in the Roanoke Valley, Hinshaw said, including three law enforcement posts.
The Vinton Police Department has sponsored an Explorer post for three years, said Lt. W.F. Brown, senior adviser to the post. The post has 17 members.
Salem has had an Explorer post for 15 to 20 years, said officer Michele Knight. There are 15 members. At least two ex-Explorers have gone on to law enforcement careers, she said.
The Roanoke Explorer post began when a representative of the Blue Ridge Mountains Council contacted the Police Department and asked if someone would be interested in sponsoring a post, said Maj. Don Shields, commander of the patrol division.
Roanoke City Council budgeted and approved the program, which got under way in January 1992, Wills said. Members were solicited through Roanoke schools.
The Roanoke post has 14 members, with seven applications pending, Wills said. In order to enroll, "You've got to have a fairly decent criminal record, and you've got to maintain a certain average in school," he said. "So far, we haven't had to turn anybody away."
Membership isn't limited to city residents; the rolls include students from Cave Spring High School and Northside High School in Roanoke County.
Members pay the annual Boy Scout fee of $10, unless they already belong to a Boy Scout unit. They are assigned a khaki uniform, which is turned in when they resign. The group sells doughnuts and holds car washes to pay for parties and picnics, Wills said.
While the group sets aside time for fun, the emphasis is on the down-to-earth details of police work. "I think it's a great place to get some experience," said Cockram, the Cave Spring junior.
Cockram is undecided on his career. "I was interested in law enforcement but that's not my set goal," he said.
Wills hopes that some of the Explorers eventually apply to become Roanoke police officers. The more training they get now, "the better they will be for us," he said. "Hopefully, in the years to come we'll be gathering what we've sowed."