Redwood City Police Cadets Honored with Prestigious Award

The Redwood City Police Department proudly announced this week that its Redwood City Explorer Post #836 was selected to receive the Pacific Skyline Council Explorer Post of the Year Award.

The Post of the Year Award is the highest recognition available to an Explorer Post and is awarded to a Post that has shown "overall excellence in youth programs and outstanding volunteer service to their local community." 

"Exploring" is a co-ed, career education program for youth 14-20 years of age. Part of the career-based branch of the Learning for Life program, Exploring is designed to help teens explore various career options. Local Exploring groups, called Posts, are attached to a variety of career fields, but the most popular exploring programs surround Law Enforcement and Fire Services, the police department said.

Participants in each Exploring Post work with career professionals and get to participate alongside them in many of their professional activities. Redwood City's Explorer Cadet Program, POST #836, is chartered by the Exploring Division of the Boy Scouts of America and is coordinated in conjunction with the Explorer Program of the Pacific Skyline Council. 

"The Redwood City Police Department has an active police explorer unit called Cadets in our organization made up of our local youth who volunteer for assignments to support our police department," RCPD said in a statement this week.

This year, the Redwood City Police Department’s Cadet Program was recognized for "the dedication, determination, persistence, hard work and compassion shown by the youth volunteers who make up the unit."

"In the past year, participation in volunteer activities has doubled, resulting in hundreds of volunteer hours given to further the quality of life for our Redwood City residents," said the statement.

"Our cadets routinely volunteer hundreds of hours for police events, PAL services, traffic details and internal police projects, but last year the Cadets went above and beyond the call of duty by initiating new ways to help our agency," the statement continued, "Specifically, our Cadets organized a community project to identify areas targeted for graffiti and worked with our Investigations Unit to identify tag-specific perpetrator information."

The Post organized a “Bulls-eye Challenge” for allied Explorer groups to compete, using Redwood City's facility.

"Our Cadets chose not to participate in the event, to allow their sister posts the opportunity to have more time on the range."

The Post also assisted the East Palo Alto Police Department with a very successful gun buy-back program in their jurisdiction.

Additionally, Post Commander Gustavo Chavez and Sergeants Dylan Mendiola and Estrella Madrigal served as “red-shirts,” or staff leaders, in the 75-76th Explorer Academy. 

"The dedicated volunteers in our Redwood City Police Department Cadet Program exemplify the highest levels of leadership, courage, compassion and dedication to public service, and we are extremely honored to work with the next generation of leaders in the Bay Area," the Redwood City Police Department said. "Additionally, we extend our deepest gratitude to each and every Post Advisor, officer, support group, benefactor and volunteer that have contributed tireless hours and resources to help make the Redwood City Explorer Cadet Post 836 a success."

What do you think of Redwood City's cadet/Explorer program? Tell us in the comments below.

Also on RedwoodCity-Woodside Patch:

• Congress to Postal Service: You Can't Cancel Saturday Delivery
• More Than 200 Tickets Given to Distracted Redwood City Drivers Wednesday
• Details Emerge of How Man Conned Local Elderly Out of Thousands
• Design for New Apartments at Old Mel's Bowl Site Revealed
• Redwood City Real Estate: SOLD

Stay informed on the latest crime, news and events in your local neighborhood - follow Patch!

Sign up for Redwood City-Woodside Patch’s daily newsletter
"Like” us on Facebook
"Follow” us on Twitter

Want to share your opinions with the communities of Redwood City and Woodside? Start your own blog here.