running of academies and assist with training) Selection (Either to prepare for a leadership position within the post or to prepare for the actual hiring process) Academy Police Department (Explorers apply, and are selected to join the APD, this course will simulate what it is like to work for a law enforcement agency for a week, using mock scenes to challenge the Explorer) Ride Along (Explorers learn how to safely ride alongside a police officer serving on his or her patrol shift. They learn where to stand on traffics stops and how to react in high stress situations. They are also taught when and when not to get out of the patrol car depending on the severity of the call.) A majority of Explorer Training, including Academies are instructed by post advisers. Activities Public events Public services are a chance for the Explorers to get out in public and interact with the community. Events range from crowd control at parades, to providing security and uniformed presence at events like fairs and sporting events, and directing traffic during mass traffic floods; such as those following sporting and other civic events. Conferences and competition Every other year, Learning for Life hosts a National Law Enforcement Explorer Conference, which includes role-playing scenarios that law enforcement officers regularly encounter, seminars, and networking opportunities. Depending on the regional structure, explorers may compete several times annually. They perform the skills they have learned (such as traffic stops, building searches, marksmanship, arrests, etc.) usually in the form of scenarios. They are graded by judges against fellow explorers from the region, country, and sometimes world. Awards and recognition Explorers are eligible for awards and scholarships offered through Learning for Life, and through local and regional Explorer organizations. Criticism Sexual abuse Since the mid-1970s, there have been over 100 reported cases of police officers raping Explorers, the vast majority of whom were underage. Such incidents have occurred in at least 66 police departments. Learning for Life has created a set of rules governing the Explorer program, which includes a non-fraternization policy between officers (or "adult leaders") and Explorers. However, it leaves oversight to individual departments. There are no reported cases of Learning for Life revoking a police department's ability to operate an Explorer program over failed oversight leading to one or several incidents of sexual abuse. Post disbandments In 2000, Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to disband the