Page 4 - Customs Today Winter1984-OCR

By Clifton V. Stallings
Customs Lends Support at

National Law Enforcement

Explorer Conference

rado town one day last July, barri
On a college campus in a quiet Colo
caded gunmen held a young woman hos
tage while police attempted to negotiate
with them. In a building several blocks
away, a group of investigators carefully
searched the scene of a grisly crime for
clues to the identity of a fiendish mur
derer. And while all this was going on,
other law enforcement units prepared to
raid a nearby dormitory believed to be
the headquarters for a major drug traf
ficking operation.
This sounds as though it could have
been the greatest concentration of crim
inal activity in the state's history, but it
wasn't. It was all part of the activities
which engaged more than 2,000 Law En
forcement Explorers and their unit ad
visors, from throughout the country and
involved the support of a number of Fed
eral, state and local law enforcement
agencies, including U.S. Customs. Edwin Meese III, Counselor to the President, dis included a seminar on the techniques of
The occasion was the 1983 National cussing the Law Enforcement Explorer Conference surveillance, a crime scene search which
Law Enforcement Conference which was and the Explorers program with Patrick A. Wil was one of the competitive events, a Cus
held July 11 through 16 at Colorado liam';, 1983 Law Enforcement Exploring Chairman. toms exhibit, hometown news coverage
State University in Fort Collins, Colo. and photography.
Law Enforcement Explorers are rescue of two people from a wrecked The surveillance seminar and crime
young men and women, ages 14 through vehicle. scene search were conducted by Customs
20, who are interested in careers in law While on a sight-seeing detour officers from the U.S. Customs Service
enforcement and who, under the auspices through Yellowstone National Park, they Academy under the direction of Acad
of the Boy Scouts of America and through came upon an overturned camper with emy Director Harry Allison and Acad
the cooperation of law enforcement agen two elderly women trapped inside. emy Customs Patrol Program Manager
cies, arc learning more about their in Two of the youngsters immediately Bob Lutz.
tended professions. climbed inside the wrecked vehicle, ad Customs Public Affairs Office
There are more than 35,000 Law ministered first-aid for minor cuts and Director Dennis Murphy assisted with
Enforcement Explorers nationwide, who bruises, and proceeded to move the overall publicity for the conference and
are members of 1,800 posts. Each one of women out of the overturned camper. supervised the hometown news program,
these posts has a partner organization, Meanwhile, two of the other teen the manned Customs exhibit and Cus
for example, a police or sheriffs depart agers directed traffic around the accident, toms activities in providing photo cover
ment. The Explorers hold regular meet while another set up flares and yet age of the events. These functions were
ings which are also attended by volunteer another called for help on a CB radio. performed by Customs employees from
unit advisors from their partner organi By the time emergency vehicles ar Service Headquarters and from the
zations, and they participate with law rived, the situation was well in hand. North Central and Southwest Regions.
enforcement officers in various aspects of The 1983 National Law Enforce High-ranking law enforcement offi
police-oriented activities. ment Explorer Conference was chaired cials who joined the chairman, FBI
With this kind of experience, many by FBI Director William Webster, who Director William Webster, at the confer
of these Explorers become very proficient was assisted by an advisory group made ence included Commissioner von Raab,
in a number of law enforcement-related up of some of the Nation's top Federal, Francis Mullen, Jr., then acting Director
skills. For example, while enroute to the state and local law enforcement officials, of the Drug Enforcement Administra
Fort Collins conference, members of Post including U.S. Commissioner of Cus tion; John Simpson, Director of the U.S.
256 of Pickerington, Ohio, were able to toms William von Raab. Secret Service; Major General Paul
apply their Explorer-acquired skills in the Customs support at the conference Timmerberg, Commander of the Army's