Garden City recently began a partnership with Woodville Tompkins Technical and Career Institute, creating an Explorer Post for students. 

The Explorer Post program provides Criminal Justice training for students between the ages of 14 and 20 years old who are interested in the law. Students must apply to join the year-long program and maintain a certain grade point average to partake in the combination of officer-directed classes and invaluable hands-on training. 

“Students who meet the applicant criteria will benefit from direct hands-on exposure to the life of an officer of the law,” said Garden City Police Department Detective Colonel Kurtis Purtee, director of the Explorer Post program at Woodville Tompkins. “Students are trained in felony traffic stops, officer safety and basic training, physical health and wellness, as well as agility – just to name a few.”

Woodville Tompkins is a state-of-the-art “shared center” facility where students benefit from partnerships with businesses throughout the area that offer students experience in real world environments. Students take the bulk of the core classes at their home school and evolve into their chosen career pathway.

Garden City police officers volunteer their time and expertise to teach students both in the classroom and on-the-job. They act as advisors and coordinate with the faculty at Woodville Tompkins to form and mold the program into a productive learning environment.

“So far we have on average 30 students participating,” said Purtee. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive from everyone involved, including the students, the faculty at Woodville Tompkins, and the Garden City police officers. This is the first program of its kind in Garden City and we are working very hard to ensure its success.”