Redmond Police Explorer Felicia “Archie” Archuleta received the 2010 Washington Explorer of the Year Award from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).
Archie, a 20 year old Redmond High School graduate, has been part of Redmond Explorer Post 2913 for two years and serves as Captain, the highest ranking within the Post. The Bellevue College Sociology major aspires to be a law enforcement career. Some of her responsibilities include running and planning Explorer meetings, supervising explorers at events, and coordinating communication with the post.
Archie’s first interaction with the Redmond Police Department was not nearly as positive. In February 2008, she called 911 for help during a domestic violence incident involving her mother. Redmond Police responded and helped Felicia escape an abusive situation. She attended her first Explorer meeting later that year and has been on the fast track to a law enforcement career ever since.
“This whole experience as an Explorer has been humbling,” Archie commented. “I’ve learned many valuable lessons from the Redmond Police Department as well as from my new family- the Valentines. I’m very lucky to be surrounded by people who believe in me and I owe it to them, and to myself, to continue succeeding towards a career in law enforcement.
“Archie epitomizes the type of young adult who will make a successful officer,” commented explorer advisor Officer Julie Beard. “She manages to excel in Exploring while still balancing a 25-40 hour work schedule, full-time college schedule, and a personal life. And she still shows up to every detail with a smile on her face. I trust her to wear the same Redmond Patch on her uniform that I wear on mine; to represent our City and agency well, and to mentor and lead our Explorer Post.”
This year’s award continues a string of success stories for the Redmond Explorer Post 2913. In 2008, it won the Washington State Explorer Post of the Year, and Officer Julie Beard received the Washington State Explorer Advisor of the Year in 2009.
About RPD Explorer Post 2913:
The Post is a group of 14-20 year old volunteers interested in the field of Law Enforcement. Their nearly 3,000 hours of volunteer service equates to over $58,000 worth of work. The volunteers assist officers with training scenarios, traffic control at serious collisions, collecting evidence items from crime scenes, and helping diagram large crime scenes.
For more information, contact Officer Julie Beard, 425-556-2659 or visit:
www.redmond.gov/Residents/VolunteerOpportunities/PublicSafety.