Daughter of Slain Police Officer Fred House to Address 24 New Recruits at Explorer Academy this Saturday

SALT LAKE CITY —The Salt Lake City Police Department will be adding two dozen new recruits to its popular Explorers program during a day-long academy that is open to the media Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

In addition to running, push-ups and team building, the 24 new recruits and 40 existing Explorers will hear from Christine House, daughter of the late-Fred House, who was killed in the line of duty. Her story underscores the family cost of public service, which will help Explorers fully understand the commitment necessary should they continue on to become police officers in the future.

Our police Explorers are helping to cultivate community relationships and add a personal connection to the communities we serve.

The additional new explorers, representing several different countries and eight different languages, will add to the diversity of our Explorer Program.  Our Explorers help officers break down the language and culture barriers and build success in community-centered policing.

The Explorers often balance school sports, part time jobs, and college classes. Yet in view of all this, our youth Explorer post contributed a full 16,273 hours of community service to improve their neighborhoods and schools over this past 12-month period.

The Academy is an intense, day-long police training involving youth from the ages of 14 to 20 years old. Being an Explorer allows young people to see life from the perspective of the thin blue line and what it really takes to be a police officer. After a short time in the program many Explorers fully embrace the lifestyle and moral code that is expected of those who wear a law enforcement badge. Explorers learn skills at every level that may be used throughout their lives, they are held to high standards, teamwork, integrity and professionalism.

By forging partnerships with a wide variety of youth, the value of our Explorer program extends beyond recruiting and helps foster community relationships regardless of their career visions.

Chief Brown is committed to making proactive and sustained community engagement practices a high priority at all levels.  “Our success in community engagement will make sure the next rookie police officer inherits a community willing to support them.”- Chief Mike Brown

The media is invited to observe and participate in the Explorer Academy on November 19, 2016 at the Salt Lake City Police Station located at 475 South 300 East.

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