DALLAS — Officers with the Dallas Police Department are volunteering their time to help enrich the lives of 9- to 21-year-olds in the community. After school every week, a program called the Dallas Police Explorers gives youth a free and safe opportunity to do their homework and learn what it means to be an active role model.
Dozens of kids from all around Dallas work on character-building skills that may or may not include exercising like an officer.
“We noticed that kids could get recruited for getting arrested at a younger age, so we try to reach them at that younger age,” said officer Nathan Martinez, the instructor of Explorers program.
Initially, the program started off with officers going to schools to teach children after class. Because of COVID-19, however, things have changed, and now officers are welcoming the youth and their families inside the Dallas Police Association headquarters.
Skyline High School senior Estefania Olivas started the program when she was in middle school and said the weekly classes give her a perspective on how the criminal justice system works, while empowering her unique traits.
“This program teaches you more than just law enforcement. It helped build me to who I am, so maybe criminal justice and the police academy later,” said Olivas. “I was very shy in the beginning, but they told me to use your voice, so now you can’t make me shut up.”
In discussing the issues surrounding law enforcement funding and police overreach, it’s the officers who are leading the complex conversations.
“We do talk to the kids about the issues because we want to be upfront and honest,” said officer Martinez. “If they have questions, we will answer them. We will tell them from our perspective why an officer might’ve done it. We don’t agree with everything an officer may or may not do, but we try to let them understand why it’s done that way. If it’s done wrong, we’ll say it’s wrong.”
While potentially recruiting future officers, the program is also bridging the gap between the Dallas community and the officers who serve.
“Before I got into the program, I didn’t understand how the police and I had all these preconceived notions,” said 13-year-old Jasmine Johnson. “I’m not really on a side. I’m just for what’s right. If more people understood the laws, and understood the ways the police thought, then they would stop doing certain things.”
During the summer months, students get to go out in the community for field trips and volunteering. To learn more about the free program, click here.