Hawkesbury Police Explorers

In February of 1955, the Hawkesbury Police Force assembled a juvenile police club (le club juvénile de la police) similar to programs that were organized in Montreal and Toronto. With approval of the town council, steps were undertaken in the formation of approximately thirty young adolescents that would be called upon to become leaders in this new organization.

Unfortunately, an abundance of youth-oriented programs at the time (the scouting movement, the Hawkesbury Sea Cadets) caused the juvenile police club to abandon the ambitious undertaking.

In 1994, while attending the XV Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British-Columbia; Pierre-Marc Larocque, a Warrant Officer with the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, member of the National Army Pipes & Drums band, came across a young woman overseeing the traffic control at one of the game's main avenues. He asked her, at such a young age, if she was a police officer, where she replied that she was a member of the Victoria Police Department Cadets, a youth-oriented program for teenagers 14-18 yrs of age, similar to the Army Cadet program, except that the program was law-enforcement oriented.

Upon coming back to Hawkesbury, Pierre-Marc contacted Pierre Dubois, his cousin, as well as a candidate for the position of Constable with the Hawkesbury Police Service. Having a background in education, Mr. Dubois, knew that a program intended for youths would only have benefits to the community, its police service and its youths.

Having been accepted with the Hawkesbury Police Service, Pierre Dubois and Pierre-Marc Larocque started working on gathering information from different sources to create a program unique to Hawkesbury and to it's police service. The research led the founders to various youth community policing programs such as the Ottawa Police Venturing program sponsored by Scouts Canada and the Ottawa Police Service, the previously mentionned Victoria Police Cadet Program and mostly the Boy Scouts of America Police Explorers movement.

The founders set up a community policing youth program that had components from all the other programs researched, but mostly from the U.S. Police Explorers Scouting Movement where the name of the Hawkesbury Police Explorers derives.

Pierre-Marc Larocque enlisted the help of Maxime Lalonde, Jean-Francoix Pépin and Eric Auger to help draft the new organization.

Under the supervision and direction of Acting Chief of Police Paul L. Roy, on February 27th, 1997 (incidentally, 42 years almost to the day of the creation of the previous youth policing program) Cst. Pierre Dubois, S-Insp. Pierre-Marc Larocque, Insp. Maxime Lalonde, S-Sgt. Jean-Francoix Pépin and Sgt. Eric Auger officially announced the creation of the Hawkesbury Police Service Explorers.

Mr.Roy put it best when he said : "This is a program created by youths, and for youths; truly an example of community policing at it's best". Shortly after, on may 12th, 32 members were sworn in as the first-ever Hawkesbury Police Service Explorers.

The first swearing-in ceremony, 1997
click on picture to enlarge

On January 11, 1999 the Hawkesbury Police Service amalgamated with the Ontario Provincial Police. The O.P.P. welcomed and supports the Explorer program. Consequently the program was renamed the Hawkesbury O.P.P. Explorer Program. In 2001, the group officially incorporated itself, hence becoming the Hawkesbury Police Explorers.

Today, the Explorers are comprised of 20 full-time members, a Reserve Unit, an Explorer Support Unit (E.S.U.) (retired program members) and have the assistance of a Registered Nurse.

The program has the support from the Hawkesbury Police Services Board, the O.P.P., as well as the local high schools, businesses and the community at large.

In the summer of 2005, the United Counties of Prescott and Russell donated a used ambulance to the Hawkesbury Police Explorers. The vehicle was transformed into a Mobile Command Unit (MCU). The vehicle has had a good effect on the program as it provides a means of transportation, a shelter and a command post for the Explorers.

The Hawkesbury Police Explorers have constantly evolved throughout the last 10 years. Only God knows the what lies ahead in the next 10 years.

This page links to Web sites created by or for organizations outside of the Hawkesbury Police Explorers, and those organizations are responsible for the information contained within their respective sites. Any specific comments or inquiries regarding those sites should be directed to the individual organization.

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