Lexington police highlight 25-year Explorer Post as recruitment and youth program

Lexington police officials said Thursday that Explorer Post 03:57, a department-run program for 14- to 21-year-olds, has marked 25 years of offering pre-academy training, mentorship and community-service opportunities.

The program "is a pre-academy program" that gives young people "academy-adjacent training," said Officer Meredith of the Lexington Police Department’s Community Services section, describing classroom work and fitness preparation similar to the police academy. The post meets Thursday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. at West Roll Call, officers said.

The program began in 1999 after then-staff returned from national conferences and sought to create a local post under the Boy Scouts of America Explorer program, said Vija Nicole, host of the Your Lex PD segment that featured the post. Assistant Chief Ulysses Berry, then in charge of community services, helped launch the effort, program leaders said.

Why it matters: The department described the post as both a recruitment pipeline and a general youth-development program. "This program gives you the opportunity to see the inner workings of how our department runs," Officer Hobson said, noting explorers rotate through departmental units and meet officers from academy staff to the chief. Officers said the program also helps youth who pursue non-police careers by offering discipline and networking.

Eligibility and activities: Officers described eligibility as ages 14–21, completion of middle school and a minimum 2.0 grade-point average. Participants come from across the state; officers said they have had members travel from other counties. The post offers classroom training, physical-fitness assessments tied to Kentucky police standards (POPS), traffic control at UK football games, upcoming bike-patrol events and national competitions.

Leadership change: After 25 years leading the program, the original coordinator said he has turned leadership over to two former explorers who are now Lexington police officers. The host noted one has been promoted to sergeant.

How to join: Officers said the post recruits at high-school career events and via social media; the show displayed a QR code linking to a sign-up page. They encouraged parents and prospective members to contact the department for details.

The post’s leaders emphasized the program’s mix of training, community service and recreation, including competitions in Gatlinburg and WinterFest, and said it can help young people prepare for the academy or other careers.