DEA, Others to Recruit Teens at Colorado Conference

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 12:39:59 PM EST
Tags: DEA (all tags)

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Not surprisingly, I don't often get promotional e-mails from the Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration. Today I did, with the news that another convention will be taking place in Colorado just before the Democratic National Convention. It's the Law Enforcement Explorers.

Law Enforcement Exploring is a worksite-based program for young men and women who have completed the eighth grade and are 14-20 years old. Law Enforcement Explorer posts around the country 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.

4,500 teens from all 50 states will be attending the conference. Details of the "fun-filled activities":

The week-long conference will take place on the campus of Colorado State University and will feature several team competitions including arrest and search techniques, crime scene investigation, bomb threat response, and hostage negotiations. Seminars on gang violence, psychological profiling, effective communication, narcotics trafficking and interdiction, and border protection are also planned.

More...

Governor Bill Ritter will give the keynote address:

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. will be giving the keynote address, and several high-ranking officials from the ATF, FBI, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs Service, U.S. Marshals Service and Secret Service will take part in the conference.

More details on the conference are available here.

[Cross-posted on 5280.com]

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DEA, Others to Recruit Teens at Colorado Conference | 37 comments (37 topical)

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Not my idea of fun..... (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by kdog on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 12:43:52 PM EST

eerily similar to an Oceania Junior Spy Camp in my mind.

That's Where They Got It From (none / 0) (#10)
by squeaky on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:44:34 PM EST

No doubt. Bush is a reader.


So, they'll be grooming youth (5.00 / 2) (#22)
by scribe on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 02:13:32 PM EST

to participate in their adult activities?

Giving them rewards and approval for doing what the adults want? Encouraging their creativity in achieving "Goals" and "having fun"?

Almost like pervs manipulating kids into, well, you know....


: Pervect Analogy (none / 0) (#23)
by squeaky on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 02:20:00 PM EST

The USSR did this (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by dianem on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:15:54 PM EST

Communists knew that if you could get the young people on your side, you had spys everywhere. Am I being paranoid? I hope I am. I really, really hope I am.

: It definately... (5.00 / 2) (#8)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:36:44 PM EST

...has a certain unsavory ring to it. Not only did the old USSR do it, but the Communist Chinese and Nazi Germany and Italy under Mussolini did similar things as well.

Seminars on gang violence, (5.00 / 3) (#11)
by Left of center on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:46:55 PM EST

profiling, effective communication, narcotics trafficking and interdiction, and border protection are also planned.
What, no seminars on kicking over wheelchairs and handcuffing cancer patients in medical marijuana dispensaries?

How About (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by squeaky on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:51:33 PM EST

Some courses on civil disobedience to balance things out?


Heh (5.00 / 3) (#13)
by Steve M on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:52:22 PM EST

I once tried to teach a course on civil disobedience, but I just couldn't get the students to sit down and listen.


: Obviously (none / 0) (#14)
by squeaky on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:53:12 PM EST

They took the advanced class, and were just practicing on you.

Oh they are covering that squeak... (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by kdog on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 02:02:28 PM EST

When you witness someone being civilly disobedient, bash 'em over the head with your billy club...like so.


: lol (none / 0) (#18)
by squeaky on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 02:03:09 PM EST

Oh, I dont know (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by Valhalla on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:57:53 PM EST

Doesn't sound that dissimilar to the Obama campaign training camp, with its emphasis on 'how I came to Jesus oops Obama' narratives, except the kids are a bit younger.

Both creep me out equally.

What's wrong with the program? (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by LatinoVoter on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 02:11:46 PM EST

And what is wrong with the "fun-filled activities?" When I was in HS in the 90s there was a similar program that I wanted to participate in here in IL. I wanted to be a C.S.I or criminal profiler when I was a kid before the current tv shows made the jobs look cool.

I wish I had done because my friends that did (mostly girls) had a blast. After I passes on the chance I had to wait until college to get my nerd on and took a class on forensic investigation to get some of my science credits.

Not everyone can grow up to be a blogger.

The DEA should be disbanned (5.00 / 1) (#32)
by AX10 on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 05:15:06 PM EST

and drug abuse should be treated for what it is,
an illness, NOT a CRIME!

: I would go with hobby (5.00 / 1) (#33)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 05:28:10 PM EST

but thats just me.

I think 20th century history teaches enough (5.00 / 1) (#34)
by magnetics on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 05:50:17 PM EST

about this sort of youth movement, examples of which I decline to name, from a mixture of politeness and squeamishness.

I will, however quote my sig line from mydd, which reads:

"The fascist takeover of America has already occurred; but the people have not yet noticed."

I'll have to make sure... (none / 0) (#2)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 12:51:47 PM EST

...I avoid Fort Collins that weekend. You'd think they'd have it in Boulder though--much more opportunity for "hands-on" training.

Good idea.... (none / 0) (#3)
by kdog on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:01:15 PM EST

I can't imagine 4500 teenage hall-monitor types all in one place...the local T.I.P.S. hotline phones will be ringing off the hook with reports of "suspicious activity".


I know! (none / 0) (#4)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:07:40 PM EST

It's like a Future Narcs of America convention or something.

Although, it could almost be as much fun as talking to the DARE people.


F*ck it.... (none / 0) (#7)
by kdog on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:24:17 PM EST

maybe we should go....Raul Duke and his esteemed attorney sure seemed to have had a blast at the Las Vegas Narc Convention:)


Let's see... (none / 0) (#20)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 02:08:31 PM EST

...we'll need a big old convertible Caddie, a suitcase full of pharmaceuticals and organics and a top notch attorney with a pocket full of bail money.


if you get the Caddy (none / 0) (#24)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 02:48:39 PM EST

I can take care of the rest.


there might even (none / 0) (#25)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 02:49:40 PM EST

be a book in it


actually I have (none / 0) (#26)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 02:55:30 PM EST

a cherry 1986 Seville but it is not a drop top
:-(


: Mile-Hi Hawkeye, Capt. Howdy, (none / 0) (#28)
by kdog on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 03:57:09 PM EST

and myself had just arrived at the junior mercenary convention when the psychedelic drugs took hold.
Classic fellas:)

My new best friend (none / 0) (#29)
by jondee on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 04:07:57 PM EST

Is this connected with (none / 0) (#5)
by Molly Pitcher on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:08:22 PM EST

the Scouting program called Explorers? Started co-ed for older kids'; googling turns up a law enforcement concentration.

Bush's Youth (none / 0) (#9)
by unifiedcollective on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 01:37:30 PM EST

Who was the last one to do this kind of a Youth recruitment? You know Who. Scary!!!

fortunately (none / 0) (#16)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 02:01:23 PM EST

anyone they recruit would be to stupid to be any real threat to anything.

: for some reason (none / 0) (#19)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 02:04:58 PM EST

Dolores Umbridges inquisitor recruits in the Order of the Phoenix come to mind.

I was gonna go... (none / 0) (#27)
by desertswine on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 03:51:55 PM EST

but my only black shirt is at the dry cleaners.

explorers conference (none / 0) (#30)
by lucy on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 04:27:53 PM EST

My son attended the Law Enforcement Explorers conference in 2001 and 2002, when he was in high school. The Explorers are affiliated with the boy scouts, but loosely. The Explorers are for middle and high school students and do just what the name says, they explore careers. My son was and still is interested in a law enforcement career and will probably go in that direction when he gets out of the Army in 2010, assuming he survives his second deployment to Iraq.

He had a great time at both conferences and yes, they do play at cop-type things. I think an explorer conference for students exploring medical careers would do doctor-type things and an explorer conference for students exploring careers in law would do law-type things. Unless the posters here think there is something intrinsically wrong with a career in law enforcement I am surprised at the reactions and snarky comments.

Yes, many federal and state law enforcement agencies distribute materials and information at the conference but again, unless you think that we don't need a DEA or the border patrol and I wonder why that is so terrible. Since most of the kids at the conference are in their early to mid teens there isn't a lot of real "recruiting" going on. My son learned about opportunities in law enforcement beyond our local police department and it was very helpful to him.

I'm not a big fan of the boy scouts primary because of their stand on gays, religion, and girls in the program but my son loved it and I didn't let my reservations stand in the way of something that was a positive in his life. Girls and not blocked from the explorer program, for one thing.

His post was sponsored by the Oklahoma City police department and they earned the money for their trips by parking cars at special events. The comments above are really insulting to my soldier son and the young people attending this conference.

: no offense meant (none / 0) (#31)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 04:38:24 PM EST

I think we are just bored.
I have three cops in my immediate family.

: Second that sentiment.... (none / 0) (#35)
by kdog on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 06:35:00 PM EST

Just having some fun at John Law's expense. Do a degenerate knucklegead a favor and tell your son to take it easy on us sinners if and when he becomes law enforcement:)
I sincerely believe we don't need a DEA though.

no lucy, i don't. (none / 0) (#36)
by cpinva on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 11:40:35 PM EST

unless you think that we don't need a DEA

one of the single most useless wastes of scarce allocable resources i can think of. the second biggest being pres. bush, but he's only temporary.

the DEA was started by nixon (you know, that big defender of the constitution), as a quasi-military domestic drug sniffer arm of law enforcement. it was not well received by either the FBI or ATF, who both viewed it as a dilution of resources. turns out, they were both correct in their early assessments.

if the measure of success of an entity is whether or not their stated goal has been, or is being effectively met, the DEA fails with flying colors.

Some things never change (none / 0) (#37)
by SeeEmDee on Thu Jul 17, 2008 at 07:03:13 AM EST

The drug prohibitionists failed big time in attempting to propagandize American youth with DARE; now they are trying this?

Well, a certain politician (NSDAP, Austria) in the third and fourth decade of the last century thought in the same way:

"When an opponent declares, "I will not come over to your side," I calmly say, "Your child belongs to us already... What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community." - A. Hitler

Didn't do him any good back then, just as this won't now.