Position

This is an exciting opportunity for community youth to volunteer beside the men and women of law enforcement in a program that is synonymous with the nationally recognized police explorer program. Police Explorers are community service volunteers between the ages of 14 - 20 years old, who are interested in learning, training, and participating in a wide variety of law enforcement functions and activities. Explorers serve the San Mateo Police Department and the community in uniform and under the supervision of a police officer, who has been designated as the program coordinator. 

Program Purpose

• To promote and provide positive young adult engagement through police and community involvement participation.
• To organize, maintain, and provide trained young adults for community service projects and certain law enforcement functions. 
• To create the potential for young adults to learn discipline, responsibility, leadership, character development, build confidence, and instill the importance of continuing their education.
• To provide elementary law enforcement awareness and training to give young adults the experience necessary to understand the complexities of a career in law enforcement.
• To promote teamwork through achievement as well as personal and group development.
• All volunteer hours fulfill community service requirements for high school graduation and college entry applications. 

Qualifications

• Possess a California identification card, California driver’s license, or United States Passport.
• Candidates must be 14 to 20 years of age at the time of appointment and attend high school or college while maintaining at least a “C” average.
• Candidates who are 17 years old or younger require signed consent from their parent or guardian.
• The candidate must be able to carry out oral and written directions and have a flexible schedule to include weekdays and weekends.
• Must pass background investigation.
• In addition, explorers are required to attend monthly meetings and complete 10 hours of volunteer work per month.

Expectations

• Mandatory class trainings 1st & 3rd Thursday 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the police department.
• 10 mandatory volunteer hours per month.
• The Police Explorer Academy is 9 weeks long and will be on Sundays. This is mandatory to participate in the program.
• Adhere to the Explorer Manual rules and Expectations.

How to Apply

Applicants must have a valid government-issued identification card to enter the background investigation process. This can be a California identification card, a California driver's license, or a United States passport. School identification cards are not accepted.

To apply to be a Police Explorer, please submit an application to begin the process. You can email your completed application to joinsmpd@cityofsanmateo.org. A recruiter will follow up with you after it’s received.