Watch: Community Policing Is Changing Lives in Las Vegas

Meet Keith, an Explorer from Post 725 of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Keith loves the city of Las Vegas; after all, it’s his home. So when he began to think about his future, he wanted to find a way to improve his community.

“I didn’t want to be one of those guys that stood on the corner all day and didn’t do anything with my life… I kind of want to be on the other side of that—being a police officer, cleaning up the streets that I live in,” he explained.

Law enforcement Exploring offered him a chance not only to help better his community, but also to take his future into his own hands as he pursues a career in law enforcement.

Keith’s mother, Denise, couldn’t be more thrilled with her son’s decision to discover the opportunities in the field of law enforcement. When a child in their previous neighborhood was shot and killed, Denise witnessed the entire event unfold from her kitchen window. She knew she needed to help her son find a path to a positive future.

According to Denise, Exploring provides Keith with a real-world understanding of the values she has always wanted to teach him, such as responsibility to community, family, and self.

“It teaches you about community service, it teaches you about civics, and it also teaches you your responsibility to your community.”

From the officers in Keith’s Exploring post, to the city of Las Vegas, Denise says, “I have a lot of people to thank because everyone helped to put my son where he is right now.”

Keith even says since the time he began Exploring, he’s noticed a big difference in his confidence, from the smile on his face to the sound of his voice. Watch the video below to hear Keith’s story for yourself and see how the Exploring program impacted his life—and his community—in a big way.

How do you work to make your neighborhood a better place? Share your story with us in the comments, then head to Exploring.org to learn more about how law enforcement Exploring is impacting communities across the country!