The Jupiter Police Cadet Program began under theleadershipof Chief Glynn Mayo. The Cadet Program was started by Sergeant William Recihert in 1971 along with Officers Jim Woodard and Jay Lloyd (who assisted with the program) and a handful of very interested youth from the Jupiter area.

When King Wekenmann was employed as a Police Officer in January of 1975,he was given the Jupiter Police Cadet Program as Leader, because of his previous experience in the Boy Scouts of America and working with youth, and as a past Police Cadet with Lake Park Police Department. There were twelve to fourteen youth that were active in the Jupiter Police Cadet program at that immediate time. Officer Wekenmann took over the program from Sergeant William Reichert who was the original leader of the Cadet program.(Sergeant Reichert retired from Jupiter Police Department as a Captain before being employed by the Martin County Sheriffs Office, where he retired as a Major).

Some of the functions that the Jupiter Police Cadets would be asked to perform are as follows: Assist in Dispatch, Dispatch, participate in a ride-along-program with parents permission, perform Traffic Control functions at the Jupiter Football Games, security detail at the Jupiter Football games where they patrolled the parking lot and walked the fence line for fence jumpers, and the Pink and White Ball at the Jupiter Medical Center where they were a security detail for the parked vehicles and assisted with traffic control when the event was closed. They would also assist officers in traffic control at traffic accidents, assist with crowd and traffic control during the annual parade events for theTown of Jupiter,and assist in a variety of other tasks as needed.

They sold First Aid Kits,received donations from various events, and performed car washes for fund raisers which paid for uniform shirts, badges, patches, raincoats, reflective vests, and flashlights. Shirts were a dark brown with a dark brown pants, with out stripes. The Police Cadet Badge was a small cadet shield, similar to the Dispatch badges at that time. The program was co-ed. The funds also provided opportunities for picnics, outdoor activities (Canoeing, archery, shooting, fishing, boating, learning how to handle police equipment) and Roller-skating for the group. Police Cadet Sue Groover was the only Cadet to be injured during the early history of the program. She broke her arm at one of the local roller rinks that the group traveled to, in West Palm Beach.

In 1981 the Jupiter Police Cadet Program officially became part of the Boy Scouts of America Explorer Post and became known as Post 712. This decision was largely based on the fact that the Boy Scouts of America's insurance covered each Explorer up to One Million Dollars each year for a very minimal cost. One of the Explorer Post fund raisers purchased the Explorer Post Flag that is still used today. This also opened up the opportunity to participate in more functions, competitions with other Posts, and camping for the group which required both male and female leaders because we were a coed Post.

Chief Westgate was employed in 1987 after the retirement of Chief Mayo, and disbanded the Jupiter Police Cadets and the Jupiter Police Reserve program in 1988. 

Officer Wekenmann served as leader to the Jupiter Police Cadets from 1975 until 1981, and then served as Executive Advisor to the Explorer Post Program from 1981 until 1987. Officer Wekenmann's wife, Sandra Wekenmann, served as the female Assistant Executive Advisor from 1981 until 1987. Officer Scott Schlosser served as Executive Advisor from 1987 to the Cadet Program until the cadets were disbanded  by Chief Westgate.  His wife Christine Schlosser was his assistant advisor.

On December 15, 1999 the Explorer Program was re-instated within the Jupiter Police Department and officially re-registered with the Boy Scouts of America, and once again recognized as Post 712 using the original Post flag.