If enthusiasm offers any measuring stick, the Johnston Police Explorers Post 405 may just be headed for a record-setting season in the next 12 months.
One reason is that the Friends of Explorers Post 405 has a new-look, 5-member Board of Directors that was officially sworn in last Wednesday evening by Mayor Joseph Polisena.
“First off, I strongly believe in this Explorers Program,” Polisena told the new board inside the Johnston Senior Center. “I believe I’m the first mayor to fully fund the program. It’s a program that is very, very important and has so many values for the young men and women who are thinking about a career in law enforcement.”
The new board members – George Arakelian Jr., President; Kellie Young, First Vice President; Anna Morin, Second Vice President; Deborah Rocha, Secretary; and Gina Sabitoni-Arakelian, Treasurer – recited their respective Oath of Office given by Polisena who later congratulated each member with a hand shake and special thank you “for the wonderful service you are providing to lead our youth.”
Arakelian Jr., who owns and operates A Custom Car Stereo Center on Atwood Avenue and has long been involved in many state and local non-profits, is no newcomer to the Board but begins his first-ever term as president.
“I’m really excited about our new board,” Arakelian said. “We’ve got two new members who A) have children in the program and B) bring lots of enthusiasm and new ideas to our group. I’m confident we now have a board that can really move the Explorers Post (405) to new heights.”
Arakelian’s wife Gina, and Rocha, are also veteran board members while Young and Morin are newcomers to the Friends of the Explorers Post 405 Board of Directors.
Dolan explained that the Explorers Post performs a myriad of community services from collecting non-perishable food baskets for needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas to snow shoveling for elderly and disabled residents to the annual Toy Drive and Gift Wrapping Party for children.
The Explorers also perform community duties such as helping clean historical cemeteries, provide traffic control for road races that start and finish inside Johnston War Memorial Park, and assist other non-profits that hold events in town.
As for the Friends of Explorers Post 405 Board of Directors, they are an all-important support group that helps coordinate special fund-raising events that provide the Explorers with items such as belts for their uniforms, fees and important items that the budget doesn’t provide. The Explorers Post is a branch of the Boy Scouts of America, but its members are not Boy Scouts.
“Explorers are young men and women ages 14 to 20 who are interested in law enforcement careers,” said Det. Major Thomas H. Dolan, who heads the JPD-sponsored and supported Post 405. “The Explorer experience brings youth into a police department to participate first-hand in many activities such as crime prevention, firearm training, routine and felony car stops, patrol operations, laser [LTI] radar training, communications procedures and function of the Bureau of Crime Investigation.”
He said that becoming a member of Explorer Post 405 does not necessarily mean that a young person’s career objective has to be in law enforcement, but for most young adults, Exploring can set a career path and provide a better understanding of the criminal justice system.
Dolan also explained, “Exploring can also build character, increase mental and physical fitness, improve self-esteem and provide a better understanding for a youth’s role as a citizen. Remember, Exploring does not take the place of Police Officers, but rather supplements them.”
Anyone interested in helping the Explorers Post 405 Board or Directors, or post in general, should call Dolan at 231-4210.
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