By Dianne Anderson

Whether youth want to get into law enforcement or fire department careers –  or not – they can still access free training for skills that last a lifetime and look great on their resume, like certified emergency response, CPR, crowd control, and more.

Soon, Long Beach youth programs are expected to fill up with applicants, and hopefully this time, more than one or two Black students will get in the door.

Parent advocate Jerlene Tatum said she was puzzled when she didn’t see any faces of African Americans in a picture posted by the Police Department announcing recent Explorer graduates. She plans to continue learning more about the program and how outreach is conducted.

“I wanted to know why they were not part of this opportunity to gain transferable skills and knowledge. I began to reach out to people inquiring about the program and was told at a community meeting by the program coordinator that African American students are not applying,” she said.

Gladys Hansen-Guerra said the program is trying to connect with more Black organizations and fraternities to spread the word on opportunities for teens to gain valuable training.

So far, the lack of Black youth is a concern. For the Cadets program, she said they interviewed 22 applicants, which was for a paid college position.

“We just ran a recruitment cycle for our Cadets, which is citywide through civil service and we only had one African American applicant,” said Hansen-Guerra, administrator for Long Beach Police Department, Youth & Community Engagement Division.

She said the program heavily recruits at high schools, in neighborhoods, at parades, community functions and tabling events at college career days, and sharing information starting with middle school.

Lately, she said they expanded partnerships with workforce development, where they offer paid internships in public safety.

“Aside from UC, CSU and community college focus, two of our focus areas are also going to address some of our fraternities and sororities of color, hoping we can begin to attract a larger more diverse population,” she said.

Recently, their restructured Youth Leadership Academy launched, set to bring in 50 students from across the city and also participated at Cabrillo High School, where they held a forensic institute to help expand their reach.

Other barriers are also reduced. The department pays for all competitions, uniforms, food, and program materials. They also partner with NOBLE, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, with LBPD officers that are affiliated with that organization.

In both programs, Explorers and Cadets, the focus is mentorship, pathways and leadership around several policing programs, including a recent course on domestic violence, and participants trained in disaster service.

“They are certified by the city to come and assist, depending on their ability, training and availability. Aside from that, they receive training in CPR, Stop the Bleed, First aid, and fundamental policing strategies,” she said.

If students decide that policing is not for them, they can look to other fields in the department, such as strategic planning, a media component, community engagement, and customer service.

Many of their Explorer students from 14 to 19 years graduate from that program, and transition to the Cadet paid college internship program, serving ages 18 to 24. Search and Rescue, another popular program, leans toward careers at the fire department, a combined effort between the fire and police departments.

Earlier this year during the floods, their Explorers were on the scene, filling up sandbags for distribution. Youth learn how to respond in moments of crisis.

“In critical instances, they are out giving aid in the form of hospitality and water. On July 4, they were doing traffic control. We’re trying to provide opportunities to give skill set and learn what public safety looks like, dispatch, nursing, public safety entails so much,” she said.

Officer Eric Stachura said 33 students graduated from the recent Explorer Academy, and the program anticipates hosting an open house for the next cohort in the next few months.

Their Youth and Community Engagement Division oversees the Explorer Program and works with communities, schools, and youth organizations citywide to promote the program. Youth can participate in ride-alongs with officers, certified as Disaster Service Workers, with experiences that provide a great entry into any career in public service.

Students can also train in patrol procedures, communications, department regulations, criminal law, report writing, the fundamentals of police field work, and physical fitness.

“We also promote the program via local community groups, through the Neighborhood Resource Center, and on our social media platforms. Our recruitment efforts include a presence at every LBUSD high school. Our recruitment team also attends College and Career days at both middle and high schools, are involved in the criminal justice strands, have officers serve as advisors for public safety student clubs, and present at community events and festivals for recruitment,”  he said in an email.

Explorers stay in the program until they are 20 years old. After graduating, they can then apply to be a Cadet.

“We hope they gain valuable transferable skill sets as stewards of our city and hopefully find a place in our department whether in a sworn or professional capacity,” said Stachura. “The Explorers program is an amazing opportunity for motivated youth to make a difference in our community.”

To learn more about getting into the Explorer and other city programs, see
https://www.longbeach.gov/police/about-the-lbpd/employment/youth-programs/

For the Search and Rescue program opportunities, email longbeachsar@gmail.com