City Council honors Hoover Police Explorers for awards at competitions

The Hoover City Council tonight recognized the Hoover Police Explorers for awards obtained at the Boy Scouts of America Winterfest competition in Gatlinburg on Feb. 9 and an Alabama Explorer competition in November.

The Hoover Police Explorers sent eight Explorers to Gatlinburg to compete in four team and four individual events, police Chief Nick Derzis said.

The Hoover team placed second in the burglary in progress competition and ninth in the officer down competition, Derzis said.

In individual competitions, Hannah Dickinson placed in the top 10 in employment interviews and emergency vehicle operation, and Elijah Ferguson placed in the top 10 in the officer survival competition.

Each event averaged 20 to 30 participants, and there were more than 100 law enforcement Explorer posts and more than 3000 total participants in the Gatlinburg competition, the chief said.

At the Alabama Law Enforcement Explorer Competition in Montevallo in November, the Hoover Explorers had three teams in nine events and brought home seven trophies, Derzis said.

They won first place in bomb threat response, second in crisis negotiation, domestic violence and traffic crash investigations, and third in burglary in progress, traffic stops and traffic crash investigations, he said.