- Do you know a young adult interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement?
- Wakulla County has a program that can help them start their career!
- The WCSO Explorers program helps them learn skills they need for a career in law enforcement
It's called the Explorers program.
It's a statewide initiative to help students
Ages 14-21 explore being in law enforcement.
The Wakulla County Sheriff's office is part of that initiative.
"it's a way to get them experience, get there foot in the door and kind of learn some of what the professions about along with other leadership skills and team building and things like that."
Lieutenant Jeffery Yarbrough tells me they recently started offering the program here in Wakulla County.
I asked him what type of candidates they consider
"You've gotta be somebody who's looking to serve your community and be interested in what the Sheriff's Office and what law enforcement is all about."
I spoke to some of the current explorers
"If you're going into law enforcement it gives you a small preparation for the academy it kind of dips in a little bit and you learn just enough for when you go to the academy you'll know honestly a really good amount to help you in the field."
Cecil Henderson hopes to work for The Wakulla County Sheriff's Office in the future
His peer Carson McCullen who is also an explorer tells me he's happy to be learning from some of his role models.
"I got a lot of people that I look up to here and it's great working with them."
The explorer program helps encourage youth to pursue careers in law enforcement,
which many agencies around the state are currently experiencing shortages in.
Florida dept of law enforcement Recruitment efforts are so low statewide, study shows that the ratio of 2 officers is to 1,000 people in the community.
Sheriff Jared Miller believes this program will help young adults get the opportunity see what a career in law enforcement can offer.
"It's very important that these young men and women understand that law enforcement is a great career it's a good career and there is job security for one thing but we always want to instill in these kids that it's about making the right decisions the right choices and if they're gonna do these things then they'll be successful."
If you're interested in becoming involved with the program, you can reach out to The Wakulla County Sheriff's Office at 850-745-7100
