Dora students participate in law-enforcement program


Ozark County Explorers, a six-week after-school program focused on law enforcement training, began this year at Dora School. Ozark County Chief Deputy Winston Collins says he hopes to expand the program in the future to include other Ozark County schools. Pictured, from left, back row: Ozark County Deputy Vesa Phelan, Brent McKemie, Gavin Martin, McKenna Miller, Ryan Causey, Anna Deatherage and Chief Deputy Collins. Front row: Makayla Lucas, Lakin Church, Kylie Jones, LeeAnna Collins and Deputy Curtis Dobbs. Not available for the photo: Korey Murphy.

A group of 10 Dora students are well on their way to graduating from the first ever Ozark County Explorer program, a six-week course for 14- through 18-year-olds interested in pursuing a law-enforcement career after high school.
Ozark County Chief Deputy Winston Collins told the Times that the after-school program meets twice a week for six weeks, and students are exposed to a variety of different law-enforcement training, including fingerprinting, crime scene investigation, interviewing techniques and on-defensive tactics. The program is run by several Ozark County deputies who volunteer their time when they are off-duty.  Donations from the Gainesville Lions Club provided T-shirts and fingerprinting kits for each of the participants.
Collins says he hopes the program will give students hands-on experience that may help foster future generations of law enforcement academy students and ultimately, local deputies and officers.
The program is only being held at Dora School this year, but the deputies hope to grow the program to include all Ozark County schools in future years.

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423