Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover city officials honor the Hoover Police Explorers for winning numerous awards at 2025 state and regional competitions during a Hoover City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
The Hoover City Council this week recognized members of the Hoover Police Explorers who won numerous awards at recent state and regional competitions.
Three teams won awards at the Winterfest 2025 regionals in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on Feb. 6-9, police Chief Nick Derzis said. That competition included 43 other Police Explorer posts from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New York and Tennessee, Derzis said.
A team made up of Elijah Ferguson, Molly Rollan, Rashad Williams and Rob Morris captured first place in DUI investigation, while a team made up of Ferguson, Rollan, Rob Morris, Michael Mathers, Jayden Wilson and Hudson McClinton took first place in the uniform inspection competition. A third team made up of Wilson, Mathers, Brayden Taylor and Gregory Powell won second place in a competition related to handling a burglary in progress.
Two Hoover Explorer teams won awards at the state competition held at the University of Montevallo on Jan. 25-26. That competition included seven other Police Explorer posts from across the state, Derzis said.
One team made up of Ferguson, Morris and Williams won first place in crime scene investigations, response to an active threat, DUI traffic stops, burglary in progress and response to a disturbance.
Another team made up of Powell, Wilson, Taylor and Jazlene Ortiz won third place in crime scene investigation.
Advisors for the Hoover Police Explorers are Marquese Jackson, Jana Newsome, Ben Oswalt, Kenya Lee and Christopher Graham.
