Over the weekend, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) celebrated over 70 graduates who trained for 14 weeks in Whittier.

On Saturday, the LASD celebrated 78 young men and women who completed a 14-week “Scouts of America -Learning for Life,” Certified Sheriff’s Explorer Academy at S.T.A.R.S. Center.

The Deputy Explorer program was originally viewed as a recruitment tool for future sheriff deputies but years later evolved into a character development program for young adults with an interest in law enforcement throughout Los Angeles County, according to officials.

Explorer Class of #108 had many youths between 14-20 years of age, representing 15 sheriff’s stations and 10 local police department agencies.

More than 500 family members, friends and law enforcement sponsors attended the graduation to celebrate the explorers’ accomplishments and welcome the new generation of community leaders.

The next Explorer Academy is scheduled to start this September and to find out more information about the Explorers program can look on the website.

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