LIHU‘E — Three Kaua‘i Police Department Explorers earned their sergeant stripes during an awards ceremony Thursday night at the Kaua‘i Community College Office of Continuing Education and Training multi-purpose room. Officer Darla Abbatiello-Higa, the KPD liaison for the program, said
LIHU‘E — Three Kaua‘i Police Department Explorers earned their sergeant stripes during an awards ceremony Thursday night at the Kaua‘i Community College Office of Continuing Education and Training multi-purpose room.
Officer Darla Abbatiello-Higa, the KPD liaison for the program, said she was overjoyed with the attendance of about 70 people who turned out for the event.
Serphine “Sean” Gonsalves, Azzua Valenti-Lancaster and Stephanie Bardfield were three of the original Explorers when the program re-started in 2009, Abbatiello-Higa said in an e-mail.
During the awards, each of the new sergeants were given their stripes by a family member present in the audience, who were joined by Chief Darryl Perry and Assistant Chief Roy Asher in congratulating the new sergeants.
The presentation of the new sergeants marks a milestone in the KPD Explorer program, since it is the first awards presentation since the program started, she said.
“It’s amazing,” Abbatiello-Higa said in a phone conversation. “We started out with just two Explorers in 2009, and we had two new Explorers joining the program Thursday, making the total 17 Explorers.”
Since the inception of the program Abbatiello-Higa has been working with the students in various aspects of police work and concentrating their energies in community-service projects, one of the more strenuous being the clearing of land at the Lawa‘i International Center.
The Explorers have also been assisting with the keiki-identification program at several of the community functions such as the Eastside Family Summit and the more recent Police Week celebration at the Kukui Grove Center.
During the Thursday awards ceremony, parents and other family members of the Explorers were invited to join in on the classroom portion of Explorer training, many of the attendees commenting on the quality of instruction the Explorers were receiving after realizing they, too, had learned something just by sitting in.
“The kids and parents were so excited and proud of this moment,” Abbatiello-Higa said, trying to conceal her personal pride in the achievements of the Explorers.
“We’re growing so big I told the chief we might be needing an assistant soon.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
