Looking for guidance, discipline and skills, Auburn’s Keith Nichols found it working closely with a cop.

“I love it,” said the 19-year-old Nichols. “I’ve gained confidence and self-worth.”

The South Valley Police Explorer law enforcement program isn’t for every young adult, but it’s a good prerequisite fit for those pursuing a career in public safety.

Nichols, an Auburn Riverside High School graduate, wanted something challenging to prepare himself for the next step. He is ready to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard and ultimately would like to work for the Secret Service.

The Explorer Program, open to career-oriented adults 14 to 21 in good standing, has been a part of the Algona Police Department for three years. The program has been expanding, with Algona sharing resources with Sumner police to become the first Explorer units to combine posts in the state.

The program’s primary purpose is to provide, through actual experience, a means to determine if young men or women would like to pursue a career in law enforcement.

But, as Algona Police Sgt. Lee Gaskill explains, the Explorer program is not a proving ground for future police officers.

“We’re not here to raise cops, we’re here to raise good citizens,” said Gaskill, a longtime supporter and advisor in the Explorer program. “I would say a very small percentage of them will actually be police officers in the future, but a bigger percentage of them will be firefighters, EMTs, paramedics. They will be dispatchers … they will have a volunteer heart.”

Gaskill says the program is about much more than exposing young adults to the police world. It is all about mentorship, preaching old-fashioned values, providing good choices and building strong character.

Nichols, who has been with the program for 3 1/2 years, has emerged as a captain in charge of younger cadets. While learning to take on a leadership role, Nichols has acquired many skills, including the responsible handling of a firearm.

“Most people are scared of guns,” he said. “I’m not scared of guns because I know what they can and can’t do.”

Explorer duty involves traffic stops, building searches, crowd control, event security, community outreach and assisting officers with paperwork. They are introduced to different areas of law enforcement, including investigations, SWAT deployments, crime scene work and other procedures.

They also go on ride-alongs and assist in the communication center or with animal control and the jail.

In turn, the program provides police with additional resources. South Valley Police Explorers put in more than 2,000 volunteer hours – from meetings and ride-alongs, to events and training – last year.

Gaskill said the program works in cooperation with the youth’s best interests. Training does not interfere with school, church or family activities.

In time, Explorers learn more about themselves and others.

Not everyone makes the grade. Applicants are carefully screened, must have completed the eighth grade and maintain a 2.0 grade-point average. They also must attend meetings each month and participate in two six-day academy training periods at Yakima Military Base.

“We are constantly teaching, educating and holding their feet to the fire so they understand that if they work hard, they are going to succeed,” Gaskill said. “That’s what we do here.”

Some of Gaskill’s graduates have served in the military overseas. Others have stayed closer to home to become police officers. One former Explorer is working with the sergeant as a reserve officer.

“They grow and change with us,” said Algona Patrol Officer Robert Stephens, who works and mentors Explorers. “They kind of look at you like you’re their big brother.”

They feel like being a part of the family.

“I love the fact that the program is not just available in a small area, but is actually nationwide,” Nichols said. “There’s a whole group of teenagers and adults who want to succeed and accomplish goals.

“It’s one large family, a part of the law enforcement family.”

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To inquire about the Explorer program, call the Algona (253-833-2897) or Sumner (253-863-6384) police departments.