Orange Beach Police Create Police Explorer Program
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
September 22, 2025
Orange Beach, Ala. The Orange Beach Police Department is inviting 9th through 12th graders to participate in the Police Explorers program and be engaged in learning about a possible career in law enforcement.
The aim of the program is simple yet practical with the main focus being for students to learn what police work is really like. It’s also a chance to build ties between teens and officers in day-to-day community settings.
The department plans an open house on Monday, September 22, at 6 p.m. Organizers say the event will be held at the Orange Beach Police Department, 4480 Orange Beach Boulevard. Students can learn details and begin sign-ups there.
The program offers monthly training on police topics and job duties. It also lets participants work alongside officers during festivals and parades for real-world experience. The department encourages any student ready to learn and serve to attend.
The history of Police Explorers is intertwined with the Boy Scouts of America’s Exploring Program, which started with older Scouts and evolved over time. The formal Law Enforcement Exploring Program was officially founded on July 12, 1973, as a non-Scouting affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America called Learning For Life. This program serves to give young adults (ages 14-21) hands-on experience and training in law enforcement while allowing them to explore a career in the field.
Exploring programs generally introduce young people to law enforcement through training and supervised activities. The national model emphasizes character, fitness, and civic responsibility, and it has been used by agencies across the country. Local officials appear to be following that path while tailoring it to Orange Beach.
For questions, contact Cpl. Alisa Dixson at adixson@orangebeachal.gov or speak with a School Resource Officer.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
