Community gets glimpse into life of SFS

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sara Csurilla
  • 47th Flying Training Wing public affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  When most people think about riding in the back of a cop car, they tend to think of it as a negative experience.

However, Laughlin's Security Forces Squadron is breaking that mindset and offering a new program, called Project Ride along, where interested candidates can hop in the back of a cop car and experience what a Laughlin Security Forces member goes through day-to-day.

The project is designed to offer people a chance to observe and better understand police work, meet with 47th Security Forces members and provide limited police exposure for people in search of a career in law enforcement. The program also helps to promote voluntary compliance with rules and regulations.

"This program is a good way for the community to get to know more about what security forces really does," said Capt. Brad Woehrlen, 47th Security Forces Squadron. "The more everyone is educated about the importance of law enforcement and security, the more of a deterrent the base will have against crime and/or acts of terrorism."

Any trained security forces members can conduct a ride along.

To participate, any person interested in the program must contact Laughlin's Law Enforcement Desk then fill out a Project Ride Along Application at the LED. Any applicant under the age of 18-years-old must have written verification from a parent or guardian to participate and any child under the age of 10-years-old is required to be accompanied by an adult during the ride along.

After the application is filled out and the paper work is done, the security forces experience begins.

The honorary cop for the day will first be introduced to the SF members they will be riding with. That security forces member will brief the individual on what to expect during the ride and what they can do to help throughout the ride.

The SF member will then take the participant for a ride around Laughlin, inform them on their daily responsibilities and answer any questions.

"There are even certain security forces members who attended specialized schools including the military police investigator's course, military working dog school, Special Reaction Team School (similar to SWAT), traffic accident investigator school and hostage negotiation school," said Captain Woehrlen. "There is a lot to be learned from these individuals."

Anyone interested in learning more about Project Ride Along or wants to be a participant contact Laughlin's LED at 298-5100.