For the second time in two years, six Seal Beach Police Explorers attended the Central Coast Law Enforcement Explorer Competition in Paso Robles in late September.
The Seal Beach Explorers did not win any trophies this year, nor did any of them take home a scholarship. Last year, one explorer one a $500 scholarship.
The competition, which marked its 10th anniversary this year, awards 10 college scholarships.
Six Explorers from Seal Beach attended the event, which was held from Friday, Sept. 24 to Sunday, Sept. 26.
Even so, Seal Beach Police Cpl. Michael Henderson said: “The Explorers competed admirably and represented the department well.”
Henderson was one of the adults who joined the Explorers on the trip to Paso Robles.
The Explorers were Zachariah Ghouliane, 16, of Whittier; Ryan Butters, 16, Garden Grove; Traci Sawyer, 15, of Los Alamitos; Austin Fassel, 16, of Garden Grove; Matthew Henney, 16, of Los Alamitos and Daniel Lever, 16, of Seal Beach.
Henderson said 400 Explorers from 45 law enforcement agencies met to compete in simulated exercises such as a vehicle search, a DUI investigation, medical response, relay race and crime scene investigation.
Last year, 487 Explorers from 47 agencies participated.
Henderson said the Seal Beach Explorers scored well on the same written exam that is administered to full time police officer applicants.
He quoted Enforcement Explorer Competition instructors as saying the Seal Beach Explorers were among the better groups that conducted the vehicle search scenario.
“They were very thorough,” Henderson said.
Last year, Officer Chris Hendrix said the Explorers did not receive formal training for the competition.
He said officers in the explorer program have only one hour at each meeting to speak with the explorers.
Henderson said the Seal Beach Explorers could not have attended the competition if not for a grant from the Seal Beach 5K/10K Run committee.
“The Seal Beach Police Department is always looking for young men and women to participate in its Police Explorer program,” Henderson said in an e-mail to the Sun.
“Applicants must be from age 14 to 18 and have a 2.0 or better grade point average. Police Explorers learn about law enforcement procedures, go on ride-alongs with police officers, and other activities,” he said.
Explorer meetings are from 4:30-5:30 p.m. every Friday. For more information, call the explorer advisor at (562) 799-4100, extension 1136.
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Crime Log Assembled by Charles M. Kelly
The crimes listed in the Sun Newspapers were reported to Seal Beach Police Department, Los Alamitos Police Department and Orange County Sheriff Department between Sept. 20 and Oct. 2, 2010.
Only street names are used; times given are reported times, not incident times.
Crime Log entries are based on preliminary information. Space limitations make it impossible to publish every incident. Until proven guilty in a court of law, all suspects are considered innocent.
IN SEAL BEACH
Monday, September 20
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—9:01 a.m.—Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway—The caller said a man tried to lure her and her 10-year-old son into the man’s vehicle. He told her he locked his keys inside the car and needed the boy to crawl through the window. When mom offered to call the police, the man left on foot.
The suspect was described as a white man with blond, spiked hair, wearing a white T-shirt and shorts.
Tuesday, September 21
Suspicious People—5:30 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said two white men were siphoning gas from a car. The first suspect was described as 30 years old, wearing a gray shirt and unknown color pants. The second suspect was described as 30 to 35 years old, wearing an orange shirt, blue jeans and work boots. The man in the orange shirt left on foot. The other suspect drove off in a white SUV.
Wednesday, September 22
Petty Theft From a Vehicle—8:19 a.m.—Coastline Drive—The crime apparently occurred overnight, between 10 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 21 and 7 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 22. The vehicle was unlocked. No suspect information. Loss: miscellaneous equipment.
Petty Theft From a Vehicle—8:54 a.m.—Central Avenue—The crime apparently occurred overnight between 4 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 21 and 8 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 22. Someone took the caller’s wallet from the vehicle and had already made charges on her credit card by the time she called the police. Report taken.
Friday, September 24
Petty Theft—5:03 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—Kohl’s security took a man into custody for theft. He was cooperative. Police arrested him for petty theft. The Kohl’s employee who reported the crime called police back to report that the prisoner’s wallet had been left behind.
Saturday, September 25
Suspicious Person—10:22 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—A black man in his 30s arrived in a car with three others. Then he left on foot. At 10:23 a.m., the caller said the man had been pacing back and forth while speaking on his cell phone. The caller apparently thought this was suspicious. Police unit 116 determined that the man’s car had broken down and he had called to have it towed.
Sunday, September 26
Vehicle Burglary—12:26 p.m.—2nd Street—Loss: a wallet taken from an unlocked vehicle parked in an open garage. The crime apparently occurred overnight.
Vandalism—6:48 p.m.—Aster Street—The caller said someone shot the rear driver’s side door panel with a BB gun. This was the second time in a month.
IN LOS ALAMITOS
Wednesday, September 29
Patrol Check—11:17 a.m.—Reagan Street—Men were protesting outside a business. Officers spoke to the protesters and the business owner, who agreed to get along.
Thursday, September 30
Malicious Mischief—12:57 p.m.—Green Avenue—The caller reported that the driver’s side window of a vehicle was broken sometime in the three hours prior to the call to police.
Friday, October 1
Extra Patrol Checks Requested—5:15 p.m.—Cerritos Avenue—A lock to a gate was broken and the caller said he would be unable to fix it until Saturday, Oct. 2. The caller requested patrols during the nighttime hours.
Sunday, October 3
Transient—1:54 p.m.—Green Street—Police received word that a man was walking up and down the street for the past 45 minutes, looking into vehicles. Officers didn’t locate anyone matching a description of the suspicious person.
IN ROSSMOOR
Thursday, September 30
Suspicious Vehicle—5:46 a.m.—Montecito Road and Shakespeare Drive—A deputy found a newspaper delivery vehicle.
Drunk in Public—9:50 p.m.—Wallingsford Road—A deputy contacted the individual and determined he was not a danger to himself or others. He was released.
Friday, October 1
Burglary in Progress—5:50 p.m.—Harrisburg Road—Deputies searched the house and determined there was no burglary. No report.
Saturday, October 2
Burglary Report—7:52 a.m.—Yellowtail Drive—A report was taken for a vehicle burglary. No further information was available.
IN SUNSET BEACH
Tuesday, September 28
Disturbance Reported—5:26 a.m.—N. Pacific Avenue and Broadway—Deputies were unable to locate the disturbance.
Disturbance, Family Dispute—4:10 p.m.—23rd Street—This turned out to be a verbal dispute between a boyfriend and a girlfriend. No report.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—11:52 p.m.—N. Pacific Avenue and 8th Street—A deputy searched the vehicle and determined there was nothing suspicious.
Thursday, September 30
Burglary Report—8:37 a.m.—Pacific Avenue—No further information was available.
Friday, October 1
Disturbance—3:20 a.m.—Pacific Coast Highway and 10th Street—A transient was reportedly yelling near the bathroom. A deputy patrolled the area, but was unable to locate the individual.
Brian Smith of the News-Enterprise contributed to this article.
