Explorer Police Background Checks

[snachodog]

I'm starting with the local Explorer Police post in Skokie, IL and although I'm not new to Scouting (I'm an Eagle Scout and Assistant Scoutmaster to my troop) nor am I new to Exploring/Venturing (I was in a High Adventure Crew as well as a Post for Camp Staff) I am new to Police Exploring. I was some what surprised that I was told I would have to have a pretty extensive background check and that I might not be allowed to join the post. (The officer in charge said they had had issues winth unsavory people in the past).
I know many of you are less BSA oriented than police oriented, but is that allowed by scout regs? Have any of you had something like this when you joined your Police Post?

Anything else I should be prepared for (I have very little idea what to expect)?

Thanks in advance,
Steve

[AnthonyM83]

Yeah, everyone gets a DOJ/FBI check. Even though it's sponsored by the BSA, you're working in a police department setting and they have their rules about who they let in their building, who they give door keys/key codes to, what kind of person they have wearing their uniforms/patches.

The BSA kind of sets the explorer program up with the police department, but the police department decides on the security measures needed. Police exploring is a lot different than regular BSA Troops, Venture Scouts, or even other Exploring. There usually isn't so much of the BSA mentality, except maybe with some advisors. Remember these guys are all cops, so there's a police/working-for-the-city/public-safety/real-job/life-and-death-situations mentality

Judging by your BSA background (ranks, position), you're probably of good moral character, not off the deep-end or creepy, responsible, sociable, and so won't have any problems being accepted into the program. Think of it as an internship...you have to qualify for it with grades, clean record, good references.

[snachodog]

Ok, that definitly makes sense.
I shouldn't have any problems with any of DoJ/FBI checks, having a clean record or my refrences, but my grades in Uni weren't the best. Do you think they will be of much concern, especially considering everything else checks out?

[scooterlee]

ALL of our explorer candidates go thru a similar background process that our officers go thru. We check fingerprints, drivers license status (if applicable), check refrences, etc..

We make our Explorers maintain a certain GPA in order to actively participate in the post.

We are very fortunate in that we hire alot of our explorers for police officers position and we use are explorers for alot of community functions.

I am a post advisor for our dept's explorer post, let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Good Luck!!

[snachodog]

As in the above response, would I have any trouble because I did poorly academically? Everything else should check out with flying colors, but should I be at all worried? Will they take my grades in to consideration since I'm in college?

[scooterlee]

I wouldn't be too worried about your grades if you are in college. That speaks volumes that you are a college student!!

Just don't let your grades slip if you enroll in the Explorer Program.


Good Luck!!

[AnthonyM83]

Grades probably won't be a big problem if you're in college. When I was looking at the doing a dual post with LAPD while in school down there the guy said he didn't even need to look at my grades b/c he knew the school wouldn't keep me if I was doing horribly.

[Explorer741]

I'm starting with the local Explorer Police post in Skokie, IL and although I'm not new to Scouting (I'm an Eagle Scout and Assistant Scoutmaster to my troop) nor am I new to Exploring/Venturing (I was in a High Adventure Crew as well as a Post for Camp Staff)

Just to let you know, most councils preform a basic background for all thier employees (That includes camp staff), and for all adult leaders. All they check for is to see if you have an criminal history, or any active warrents.

[AnthonyM83]

I'm starting with the local Explorer Police post in Skokie, IL

Hey, as in "when I was in a barbershop quartet in Skokie, IL"?

[snachodog]

Hey, as in "when I was in a barbershop quartet in Skokie, IL"?

...actually it wasn't barbershop quartet, there were eight of us.

[letshearit4blue]

You cannot have any felony or misdemeanor arrests and participate in our post. But as far as actually doing a B.I. I don't know how far our department goes. Any current explorer who is arrested is suspended from the post pending the "official outcome" and may be dishonorably discharged regardless of the outcome.

[snachodog]

Not that I plan on getting arrested any time soon, but what do you mean by "dishonorably discharged" in terms of Police Explorers?

[Bodie]

From what I have read here I believe strongly that a psych exam would be in order too. I have heard some explorers try to act like they are real cops. I was an explorer back in the day and we had strict limits, very strict.

[letshearit4blue]

Just a fancy way of saying they're kicked out and are banned from ever rejoining the post. Luckily finding an exact definition hasn't been much of an issue in our post.

From what I have read here I believe strongly that a psych exam would be in order too. I have heard some explorers try to act like they are real cops. I was an explorer back in the day and we had strict limits, very strict.

There are bad apples everywhere (I'm sure that as a cop you know that) and I just want to say that those explorers do not represent the majority of us. MOST explorers have common sense and don't try to get themselves into bad situations.
I don't think enough posts take the probation period/academy seriously enough to help weed out those kids who give us a bad reputation.
The amount of work an explorer post is able to do should be directly related to the amount of effort put into the "joining process" and the amount of training they are willing to go through.

If a post doesn't want to sift through its applicants that much, plainclothes with small occasional presentations sounds appropriate. But if they want to be uniformed, a more complex process should be in place. Same with training for ride-alongs.

[Bodie]

I concur that there are hundreds of good leo explorers out there. But the ones that come here talikng the trash they talk and obviouly violating evey explorer restriction and even some state laws give the group a huge black eye.