The Palo Alto Police Department invites our local youth to learn about the objectives and roles of the police in our community and to gain knowledge in the law enforcement field through our Law Enforcement Explorer program.
Law Enforcement Exploring Overview
Law Enforcement Exploring, a division of Learning for Life, is a volunteer career education program for young men and women interested in the field of law enforcement.
In partnership with the Palo Alto Police Department, Explorers will receive training and education in various aspects of police work, such as criminal law, CSI, first aid, traffic enforcement, patrol procedures, and more… Explorers will participate in regular meetings consisting of a mix of classroom training and hands-on application of learned skills.
Explorers will have first-hand opportunities to experience police work through a structured ride-along program in which they will be able to observe officers taking enforcement action and to participate by assisting the officers with non-hazardous assignments.
Explorers may have opportunities to provide community services during public events such as traffic/crowd control, search and rescue, natural disaster response, and more (as appropriate to the position). Sworn Police Officers will supervise Explorers at all public events. Explorers may also perform volunteer services at Department and participate as role-players in training exercises.
In addition to law enforcement specific activities, the Explorer Post will also organize social activities for fun and team development.
Explorers will be generally expected to attend a local Police Explorer Academy to learn the fundamentals of police work. The Academy is an Explorer-specific, paramilitary-style training course hosted at the College of San Mateo during the spring and fall. The Academy runs for 9 weekends in a row generally on Sundays with one Saturday event.
Eligibility and Requirements
To be eligible to become a Law Enforcement Explorer, you must:
Be at least 14 years old (and completed 8th grade) but not yet 21 years old
Be willing to participate at least 8 hours a month (includes meetings, details, and activities, but not ride-alongs)
Have a 2.5 GPA or better
Be willing to complete the Police Explorer Academy within 1 year of joining
Pass a background check and interview – no felony convictions, no misdemeanor convictions within the past year
Purchase your part of your own uniform
Application Process
We are accepting applications at this time. If you are interested in joining to the Post, please download the application.
Please fill out the application completely and return it to the head advisor, Agent Dan Ryan, or assistant head advisor, Officer Michael Kan. You can email it to us (contact information below) or bring it to the Police Station front desk with a cover sheet putting the application to our attention.
We will review your application, conduct a background check, and schedule an interview.
Contact Information
If you have any additional questions about the Post or the application process, please email us:
