Just a year after she graduated, Hannah Haeberlin is back at Western.

Haeberlin was a campus police Explorer captain with campus police during fall 2006. She started this fall at Western as a telecommunications officer after attending a five-week academy at Eastern Kentucky University called The Department of Criminal Justice Training.

The primary job of participants in the campus police program Explorers is to operate the campus escort service. Explorers escort students in need of security on campus after dark. From July 1, 2006 to June 30, Explorers escorted 541 students and 81 nonstudents.

They also work as the eyes and ears for police because they report incidents happening at special events and do building checks, said Capt. Joe Harbaugh, professional standards commander with campus police.

Explorers must volunteer 15 hours per month.

The Explorer program is developing quality officers, several of whom end up back at Western, said Capt. Mike Dowell, public information officer for campus police.

Explorers learn various technical skills and have on-the-job training that make them valuable as officers, Dowell said.

Campus police have four police officers and one telecommunications officer who were in the program.

Haeberlin said she was drawn back to Western because she likes the smaller department atmosphere.

“It’s a close-knit family here,” Haeberlin said. “There are always people looking out for each other.”

Haeberlin said she eventually wants to work on in police investigations, but is starting with telecommunications so she’ll be a well-rounded officer.

Eddyville Sophomore Rachel Bauer is the current Explorer captain. Like Haeberlin, she plans on attending the academy at Eastern and will then seek employment with Western.

Bauer said she was also drawn to Western’s family-oriented environment.

“I thought about being a (federal officer), but right now I’m just focusing on becoming a police officer,” Bauer said.

Bauer is majoring in sociology and minoring in criminology. Sociology is the most common major and criminology is the most common minor for those in the program, Harbaugh said. Students with any major can become Explorers.

Haeberlin said the techniques she learned from the program have made her job with campus police easier.

In addition to the daily tasks, Explorers compete in a nationwide event each year that showcases their training. Haeberlin said she learned a lot from those experiences.

The program was founded by the Boy Scouts of America, Dowell said. It gives young adults ages 14 to 21 a chance to work in the field and make decisions about their futures.

Explorer posts are career-specific. There are programs for firefighting and other careers, Dowell said. The campus police Explorer post began in 2004.

The program might not be for everybody. It has high standards, Harbaugh said. Students must have a complete background check based on state requirements for police officers, and must pass physical fitness tests as well.

Bauer said the hardest part of being an Explorer for her is being a full-time student also. The Explorer program is demanding, Bauer said.

Police officers are also open to more scrutiny and verbal abuse than normal citizens, Harbaugh said. Explorers also have to wear Kevlar vests on patrols. Such conditions cause some people to leave the program, Harbaugh said.

Reach Chris Byrne at news@chherald.com.