For 33 Chicagoland Police Explorer Cadets, recent heavy rain added a wrinkle to a week spent learning the ins and outs of police work.
The cadets spent last week in basic training. They slept in tents at the water-logged Chain o’ Lakes State Park and spent their days in classroom training at the Fox Lake American Legion Hall.
“You learn that there is a lot more to police work than the chase or the arrest. There is a lot of thinking and investigation that comes first, and that is the most important part,” said Fabien Dixon, 19, of Bristol, Wis., a member of the Lake County Sheriff’s Explorer Post.
The course is designed to provide Explorer Cadets with basic instruction in all areas of law enforcement. The week even included hands-on experience in emergency preparedness, as the cadets volunteered to fill sandbags in Spring Grove to prevent flooding along the Chain o’ Lakes.
The cadets began each day at 5:30 a.m. with physical training, followed by uniform inspection and a day of classroom lectures and hands-on scenarios. They crawled back into bed at 11 each night.
Their curriculum included training on surveillance techniques, juvenile law, report writing, radio equipment, domestic violence calls, burglaries and crime prevention.
Through it all, they learned a lot about themselves.
“We really bonded. Explorers teaches you about self-defense and how to keep yourself safe and how to work together,” said Cadet Lt. Missy Griffin, 19, of Fox Lake.
The cadets from Police Explorer Posts in Fox Lake, Lake Zurich, Grayslake, the Chicago branch of U.S. Customs and the Lake County Sheriff’s Police Department graduated at the end of the week.
Suburban teens learned to work alongside their counterparts from Chicago’s inner city and make split-second decisions that could mean life or death on the streets.
“I grew up in the projects. I’ve lived there all my life. And one of the best things about Explorers is the opportunity to meet and work with people from a diverse background,” said David Burchett, 20, of Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood.
Burchett is the state chairman for the Police Explorers, a post he was elected to by his peers. He has been active in the organization since age 14.
“You learn to communicate with people and look at more than one side. The more you experience, the more you are aware of people from different backgrounds and how to solve problems,” Burchett said.
Burchett will soon be joining the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department’s investigations unit, while he works toward a degree in criminal justice.
Police Sgt. Joe Gliniewicz, the Fox Lake Explorer Post Adviser, organized the basic-training program.
“Explorers gives kids the chance to build self-confidence, self-esteem and skills,” Gliniewicz said
