The Baton Rouge Police Department is relaunching a program that's been inactive for the past three decades: career mentorship for teens with an interest in law enforcement.
Local officials started discussing the program's benefits in the aftermath of summer 2016, when tensions rose to the surface following the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling and subsequent ambush on law enforcement that killed three officers and wounded three others in Baton Rouge.
Now, department leaders are looking for young adults ages 14 to 18 who want to participate. An informational open house at department headquarters Saturday evening will give potential participants the chance to learn more.
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The program, which is called Exploring and is run under the same umbrella as the Boy Scouts, is already offered through some other local law enforcement agencies and East Baton Rouge Emergency Medical Services.
Sgt. Belford Johnson with the Baton Rouge Police Community Services Division said the goal is to give participants a window into law enforcement work, helping them decide whether to pursue that career path. He hopes it will also show both children and their parents that police officers are human, too.
"A lot of kids are scared of the police because of what they see on TV or social media," Johnson said. "We want to get them when they're young and show them that we're not the bad guys. Our duty is to serve and protect. … We want them to get to know us personally and see what we do on a daily basis."
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Johnson said he's been spreading the word about the program wherever possible, especially in high crime areas where more residents tend to view law enforcement in a negative light.
Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul has emphasized the importance of strengthening the department's relationship with residents since he took office in January 2018, arguing that detectives can't solve crimes without tips from the community.
Building interest among young people could also help boost recruitment numbers, which have been lagging for the past several years. The program could also help increase diversity within the department, which was recently released from a decades old federal consent decree aimed at improving hiring practices for minority and female candidates.
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The BRPD Explorer program will coordinate with other local agencies, including East Baton Rouge Emergency Medical Services, District Attorney's Office and Coroner's Office, to widen the scope of what participants can experience. They'll also get to assist with some police activities such as setting up barricades and helping direct traffic for parades and football games.
Johnson said the explorers will meet about twice a month year round. Meetings will start in the coming weeks based on the level of interest.
The open house is taking place at 5 p.m. Saturday at department headquarters, 9000 Airline Highway. Children and their parents are invited.