Some members of Johnston Police Explorer Post 405 have spent the last five days at a seaside summer camp, but they haven’t had much time to enjoy the sun and surf.
The 10 Explorers are taking part in the prestigious Rhode Island Law Enforcement Explorers Summer Training Academy, which concludes Saturday with a formal graduation ceremony at Camp Varnum in Narragansett.
The Johnston Explorers may have been afforded some time for swimming, but their work has been participating in a program that runs on a 24-hour basis for seven days a week at the Rhode Island National Guard facility.
Explorer groups from a number of police departments in the state – made up of young people ages 14-20 who have expressed an interest in law enforcement as a career – have had a long list of activities, from attending classes to taking part in crime scene investigations and fingerprinting.
Their instructors have been ranking police officers, such as Academy Director Lt. Patrick McMahon of the Charlestown Police Department and Johnston Police Maj. Thomas H. Dolan.
“It’s an intense camp,” said Dolan, who accompanied the Johnston Explorers along with Lt. Steve Guilmette and advisors Terry Best and former Post 405 Chief Allegra Graziano. “All the Explorers are housed in Camp Varnum’s dorms, and all members of the staff do their best to build teamwork, commitment, respect, dedication, compassion and safety.”
Graziano, who worked her way up the ranks to become chief as an Explorer, offered: “The camp was a great experience for me. I got to see the other side of the Explorer program and that was important. You never stop learning in law enforcement.”
The Johnston Explorers attending the camp include Aaron Blanco, Mason Lariviere, Kaleb A. Mendez, Elvira Larios, Sofia Morales, Kayla Desrosiers, Stephen Notarianni, Mizael Mendez, Lt. Zachary Morin and Sgt. Patrick Young.
Post 405 packed their gear into the Johnston Police SWAT team truck and left headquarters Sunday morning for the short trek to Narragansett.
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