“This is one of our largest classes in the last 10 years,” Nelson Carreiro, the Warwick Police Department’s (WPD) officer who coordinates the Explorers Post 327, said after Saturday morning’s Open House. “We have 40 young people here today and that’s more than double what we had last year.”

Carreiro, who works out of the WPD’s Community Police Division, added, “I set the [Community Room] up for 120 people and there are over 100 here today. This place is filled with lots of excitement and enthusiasm; we definitely have our hands tied and will be very busy this year with our Explorers Post.”

The WPD’s Explorers Post 327 is actually a Boy Scouts troop that comes under sanction of the Narragansett Council of Boy Scouts and is coordinated each year by local police departments. Youngsters who are ages 14-20 who have, at one time or another, expressed interest in a career in law enforcement participate in the program that includes hands-on-training in all phases of police work, classroom education and the annual Explorers Police Training academy in June.

“This is one of the best programs we have,” Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian said prior to the open house. “Not only does it give young people direction, the Explorers program has all the things you hope young people will get today; there’s everything from discipline to character building and a number of Explorers have gone on to careers in law enforcement right here in Warwick.”

Although Avedisian and Col. Stephen M. McCartney didn’t speak during the open house, they were on hand – as Carreiro emphasized – to show their support and just how valuable they feel the program is for our young men and women.”

Carreiro announced that Opening Night for the explorers Post 327 program is scheduled for Oct. 21. Young men and women who have not as yet registered but still wish to do so should call 401—468-4311 for more information.