Американская программа профессиональной ориентации для молодежи в правоохранительных органах.

American education program for youth in law enforcement

Law Enforcement Exploring, commonly referred to as Police Explorers or Police Scouts, is an American vocational education program that allows youth to explore a career in law enforcement by working with local law enforcement agencies. Founded on July 12, 1973, it is one of the Exploring programs from Learning for Life, a non Scouting affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America. The program is generally available to qualified young adults who graduated 8th grade and are ages 14 through 21.

Learning for Life (LFL) coordinates the Law Enforcement Exploring program at the national level. LFL provides resources such as advisor training, sample policies, and insurance. LFL also hosts a biannual conference and competition, the National Law Enforcement Explorer Conference.

Local Explorer programs are chartered by a local law enforcement agency. At least one officer from that agency serves as the post "Advisor". This advisor is responsible for department level administration of the program, and ensuring that the program meets the departments objectives. Most posts maintain a command structure mirroring that of the hosting agency.

Public services are a chance for the Explorers to get out in public and interact with the community. Events range from crowd control at parades, to providing security and uniformed presence at events like fairs and sporting events, and directing traffic during mass traffic floods; such as those following sporting and other civic events.

Every other year, Learning for Life hosts a National Law Enforcement Explorer Conference, which includes role playing scenarios that law enforcement officers regularly encounter, seminars, and networking opportunities. Depending on the regional structure, explorers may compete several times annually. They perform the skills they have learned (such as traffic stops, building searches, marksmanship, arrests, etc.) usually in the form of scenarios. They are graded by judges against fellow explorers from the region, country, and sometimes world.

Explorers are eligible for awards and scholarships offered through Learning for Life, and through local and regional Explorer organizations.

Since the mid 1970s, there have been over 100 reported cases of police officers raping Explorers, the vast majority of whom were underage. Such incidents have occurred in at least 66 police departments. Learning for Life has created a set of rules governing the Explorer program, which includes a non fraternization policy between officers (or "adult leaders") and Explorers. However, it leaves oversight to individual departments. There are no reported cases of Learning for Life revoking a police department's ability to operate an Explorer program over failed oversight leading to one or several incidents of sexual abuse. The LAPD replaced their program with the Cadet Program in 2007.

In the 1971 Adam 12 episode "Pick Up", a group of LAPD Explorers manage to apprehend a robbery suspect. In an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, a member of the New York City Police Department Law Enforcement Explorers program jeopardizes, but then saves, a criminal case against a serial rapist. In an episode of Blue Bloods, a group of NYPD Law Enforcement Explorers are seen attending presentations hosted by Frank and Jamie Reagan concerning the career of law enforcement. In an episode of Chicago PD, Officer Roman talks to some youths about the Law Enforcement program. Officer Roman laters tells fellow officers that he started his law enforcement career in this program and it saved his life.