Back in February 2019, the Suffolk County Police Explorer Program approached Legis.
Rudy Sunderman about their need to acquire a vehicle to transport their members to and
from events and trainings. Upon receiving the request, Sunderman worked to make it
happen.
“The Police Explorer Program is vital to so many young adults who are interested in
pursuing a career in law enforcement,” he said. “Anything I could do to help them
administer this program for the benefit of the children is a positive for everyone involved.”
The vehicle that was chosen is a decommissioned minibus from the Suffolk County
Transportation system. The employees of Public Works gave the bus an overhaul, tune-up
and a new paint job, complete with police department decals. The bus was transferred to
the explorers on Aug. 19 and is now designated for their use.
Founded in 1973, the Police Explorers Program is sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America
Learning for Life Program and has been active in Suffolk County since 1975. This career-
oriented program provides young adults between the ages of 14 and 20 the opportunity to
work with local law enforcement agencies to give them insight into the skills and
techniques necessary to be a police officer. This is a volunteer public service program, and
while explorers do not perform the duties of a police officer, they can provide assistance in
public service programs, such as crime prevention.
