South San Francisco, CA June 2, 2017 Press Release City of South San Francisco
Sergeant Explorer Arianna Realyvasquez has volunteered more than 1,100 hours for the SSFPD
Meet SMC Explorer of the Year -Sergeant Explorer Arianna Realyvasquez
It’s often said, one of the greatest gifts you can give is your time, and for Sergeant Explorer Arianna Realyvasquez, she has given the City of South San Francisco, and our community, a great gift. Recently, she received the 2016 San Mateo County and Pacific Skyline Council Explorer of the Year Award during an Explorer Academy graduation ceremony.
“We are proud of Arianna and all of our Police Explorers for their dedication and commitment to helping make South San Francisco a safer place for residents and visitors alike,” said South San Francisco Police Chief Jeff Azzopardi.
Sergeant Explorer Realyvasquez hails from a family in law enforcement, so it’s no surprise that she is studying Criminal Justice at Skyline College. She has been a Police Explorer for four years and has been to several National Explorer Conferences, and has also served as a mentor/instructor, called a “Red-Shirt” Squad Leader, at the Police Explorer Academy.
There are many roles a South San Francisco Police Explorer fills, including “Ride-A-Longs” with police officers on their beats, helping to fingerprint children, assisting the department’s Records and Communications section, and assisting with safety programs and crime prevention in the community.
“We need more people like Arianna and want to encourage local youth to participate in the South San Francisco Police Explorers Program as it offers real-world experience in law enforcement,” said Chief Azzopardi.
Interested in law enforcement? Want to serve your community? Then being a South San Francisco Police Explorer may be just for you! Some of the requirements are below:
- You are between the ages of 14 and 21 years.
- You must either reside or attend school in South San Francisco.
- If you’re a student at a South San Francisco school, you must maintain at least a “C” grade or 2.0 GPA.
- You must be a U.S. citizen or in the process of becoming a naturalized citizen.
All new South San Francisco Explorers are required to attend a nine-week (nine consecutive Sundays) Explorer Academy.
For those interested in applying for the South San Francisco Police Explorer Program, please call the SSFPD’s School Liaison Officer at 650.829.3924. Also, be sure to check out their new Instagram page and stay in touch with what the Explorers are doing.