Community Services

Northampton Police Explorers- Post 556

The Northampton Police Department Explorer Program began in April, 2010.  Law Enforcement Exploring is a worksite-based program for young men and women who have completed the eighth grade and are 14 years of age or older but have not yet reached their 21st birthday.

Law Enforcement Explorer posts help youth to gain insight into a variety of programs that offer hands-on career activities. For young men and women who are interested in careers in the field of law enforcement, Exploring offers experiential learning with lots of fun-filled, hands-on activities that promote the growth and development of adolescent youth.

What does an Explorer do?

Explorers attend regular meetings and learn the basics of law enforcement operation and administration.  They may be involved in patrolling with uniformed officers, traffic enforcement, investigations, crowd control, event security and parade details.

Who is eligible to join?

To be eligible to be an Explorer a person must be between 14 and 21 years of age, have parental approval if under age 18, be actively enrolled in school or gainfully employed, be of good character and successfully pass a criminal background check.  Residents of Northampton will be given first priority but non-residents will be considered if room is available. 

How can a person join?

The application process is on-going and new applicants are considered on a continual basis.  Potential members may apply at any time throughout the year.  Anyone interested must be willing to make a commitment to the program by attending scheduled meetings, attending civic functions and volunteering time to assist the Northampton Police Department with various duties as assigned by the Post Advisor.

Anyone interested in joining should complete the application form.  It can be mailed to the station or dropped off in person.  The link below contains the appropriate form:

Police Explorer Application Form

Where and when are meetings held?

The majority of post meetings and trainings occur at the police substation located in the rear of 140 Pine Street in Florence.  Meetings occur the first and third Wednesday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.

    Anyone interested in becoming a Police Explorer should complete an application and should bring it to the Northampton Police Department located at 29 Center Street, Northampton.  Anyone with further questions about the Post 556 should contact Officer Francis Henderson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  

Police Explorer Links:

Police Explorers Learning for Life National Site