Law Enforcement Explorers medal at regional contest

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

Eight members of the Copperas Cove Law Enforcement Explorers and one member of the Copperas Cove High School Criminal Justice Club competed at the Texas Public Service Association regional competition held at Hutto High School on Saturday and brought home a collection of medals and accolades after competing against peers their age. 
In the Traffic Stop category, Caleb Frazer nailed first place with a perfect score. Frazer had to work through a mock traffic stop from beginning to end and was scored on radio traffic and officer safety, among other things.
Abigail Ford brought home first place for Copperas Cove in Inmate Processing. In this event, she was given a student actor to “book” into a jail. She was required to fingerprint the subject and inventory his belongings, while maintaining control of the subject. It was noted that she completed the process with high praise from the judges on her fingerprints.
Explorers Kylie Hayhurst, Connor Hayes, Anthony Maspero and Criminal Justice Club Member Tyler Murphy received second place in Felony Traffic Stop. In this scenario, the four were presented with a felony traffic stop (or high risk stop) situation. From their positions in the patrol cars they directed an “armed” subject out of the vehicle and into custody. They then cleared the vehicle of any other threats. 
The judges were impressed with their thoroughness in all aspects of the stop and gave them pointers to improve, said Officer Kayla Long with the CCPD and one of the co-directors of the Copperas Cove Law Enforcement Explorers. 
Explorers Kayla Pastrano and Abigail Ford received first place in the Ideal Prison category. The two created a presentation to represent the Ideal Prison and worked together to research prisons and the prison system to create their own idea. Dressed in business attire, the two made their presentation before the judges. 
“They created a poster board with their information and a 3D standing model of an individual cell,” Long said. “They were complimented on their excellent delivery of the information and ease about their public speaking.” 
Long acknowledged the work that these cadets put in before heading to competition. 
“All of the Explorers and CJC (Criminal Justice Club) members met at the police department after school every day for about two weeks. While they do receive training on this throughout the year as part of school and Explorer training, the afterschool training is individualized and more intense than a team training,” Long explained. “There were students who stayed at the police department until as late as 830 p.m. to train. Scenarios are set up by Explorer instructors and officers at the police department for the competitors to work through. They are given critique and asked to run through it again. The one-on-one training they receive coupled with the support of the CJC teachers and CCPD staff better prepares them for the events.”
The Texas Public Service Association provides Law Public Safety Corrections and Security students with knowledge, skills, leadership, and student growth through real world career preparation, experience, training and competition opportunities.
According to the TPSA website, the organization is a co-curricular non-profit student organization across the state of Texas, with the state divided six regions. 
The TPSA state conference will be held in Bryan on March 28-29, with all of the Explorers who medaled qualifying to compete at that contest.