SYLVANIA, Ohio — Have you ever wondered how law enforcement trains to fight crime, even when it comes to the most typical scenarios? Sylvania police explorers had the hands-on chance to find out Monday night.
It was no typical crime scene. In fact, it was no crime scene at all.
The cops weren't using real guns and the people weren't real cops.
But the training was as real as it gets.
"Not a lot of people know what it's like going into the career they want to go into, so knowing that beforehand has been extremely useful," said 20-year-old Ben Bostater, an explorer.
The Sylvania Police Explorer group is a partnership between city and township police for 30 years now. While they may not sport the actual badge, they're learning what they'll need to do one day.
"This was a typical alarm call where they arrive on scene, find an unlocked door, they come in and they find some kind of staff member or janitorial staff or whatever inside the building," Ofc. Kevin Steinman explained.
The program's goal is two-fold: it gives teenagers between the ages of 14 and 20 a first-hand look inside the field and it's a recruiting tool for the departments.
"This group is also for people who are maybe not sure if law enforcement is for them," Steinman said. "We give them an inside look into what police work actually is. And they may decide, 'OK, yeah, this isn't really what I thought it was going to be,' and they go do something else. That's still a success."
It's a surprisingly-easy program to get involved with. All you need to do is live in Sylvania or Sylvania Township and sign up at either police station.
For Bostater, who is now approaching year six of his explorership and year two as a criminal justice student at the University of Toledo, there's no question on his intent after graduation.
"I want to be a police officer because I want to help people," he said. "I know that can be a cliche answer, but this community has given a lot to me, and I want to be in a position where hopefully someday I can give back to it."
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