LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) – The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department announced Thursday that it is restarting its Explorer Program, giving young people in the community an opportunity to learn about careers in law enforcement through hands-on training and mentorship.
Sheriff Ward Calhoun made the announcement during a press conference held Thursday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
“We are here today to announce to our community that we are in the beginning stages of restarting our explorer program, which is a great opportunity for young people in our community to get to learn about law enforcement as a potential career,” Calhoun said.
Calhoun said the department previously operated an Explorer Program years ago and is excited to bring it back to Lauderdale County.
“This is something we had years ago,” Calhoun said.
The program will partner with Scouting America through the Mississippi Riverlands Council. Rachael Daleo, representing the council, said the program is designed to help students explore future careers while developing leadership skills.
“Exploring focuses on hands-on experiences, leadership development and mentorship from community professionals like the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department,” Daleo said.
“Participants in this co-ed program are called explorers,” she said. “They engage in real-world work site-based activities to discover interests in potential career paths, helping them to decide on college majors or professions later in life.”
Daleo said participants will receive practical exposure to a variety of law enforcement activities.
“These explorers will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with crime scene investigations, self-defense training, forensics, ride-alongs, and a lot more,” Daleo said.
To qualify for the program, applicants must be at least 14 years old, have completed the eighth grade and maintain at least a C average in school. Participants may remain in the program until they turn 18.
Officials said three current members of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department were once explorers themselves.
The department expects the program to begin within the next few weeks.
Those interested in applying can contact Rachael Daleo or the Meridian Scouting Office at 601-693-6757 for additional information and applications.
