30 Nov A Day in the life as a law eNFORCEMENT iNTERN

Hello all, It has been a month since my last blog post but it feels much longer due to the wide array of activities that I have covered in this Internship. A day in the life as a Law Enforcement intern fluctuates immensely as this particular profession has no set daily tasks, but rather carries out tasks at hand as they arrive. With a wide array of tasks being performed day to day as I collaborate with numerous law enforcement agencies as well as officers, the experience has been nothing short of exhilarating as well as imperative to further build my passion for the field of Criminology. To begin with, working with the United States Forest Service has been a humbling experience as they go above and beyond due to their community outreach, environmental protections, and enforcement of laws to ensure the preservation of Federal Forest land to protect and preserve it’s resources for future generations to come.

For Example, pictured above was a community outreach program that I participated in, titled “Breakfast with Blue”, where we met at Roosevelt High School to do community outreach consisting of first responders. At this event, various agencies attended where I was able to network as well as promote the internship position to high school student unsure of what careers they wanted to pursue. Being in their shoes not too long ago, I was able to build strong interpersonal relationships by answering questions, discovering their interests and giving them helpful educational advice to succeed. Being there with over 300 students was a great experience as the city mayor spoke as well a superintendent promoting the importance of first responder careers, stating it is one of the most noble careers as; “you spend it responding to those who need your aide, often in a low moment of their lives”. To me, this statement was instilled in me as being a law enforcement officer is my passion and helping others is something that I strive for as being able to make a difference within my community and it would mean the world to me as I want to work towards a cause with my peers that is bigger than all of us. With this being the third community outreach program so far, being apart of these events is a humbling experience and something that I am grateful to be apart of.

As alluded to earlier, networking proves to be imperative as you learn all respective agencies duties as well as overlapping resources that we use to aide each other. For instance, pictured above is the Eagle-One Helicopter, used throughout the cities of Fresno, Clovis, Parlier and the Sierra National Forest. When a search and rescue is in place or fleeing suspect(s) into the Sierra National Forest, Eagle One tends to always be the first one on the scene with its speed and ways it maneuvers with a highly skilled pilot(s) in terrain that may be difficult to reach via vehicle or on foot. In addition, with a $400,ooo camera attached on its right hand side, it is used to detect heat signals, world class camera detection and night vision capabilities that would make navy seals jealous. That being said, riding in the helicopter Eagle-One was a great experience and a event that I will never forget as I had a great time being in the sky.

In addition, aside from community outreach, networking with other agencies, and being apart of a ride along, training is just as vital. Pictured above is training qualifications of firearms, where I observed the trainings needed as well as safety measures to take as a Law Enforcement officer, due to not taking a required safety course (which I will complete soon), I had to spectate but I did learn vital firearm knowledge which is crucial to know in this particular field. On the contrary, pictured on the right was hands-on K-9 training where I put on the bite suit and helped train the dog on their bites as well as resistance measures to improve offensive techniques as well as tracking. By far one of my favorite experiences yet, the sheer thrill and adrenaline of wearing a bite suit and being charged at by a trained K-9 was nothing short and memorable while also serving as knowledgeable, Last but certainly not least, educational knowledge is just as important in regards to being sharp physically as well as mentally on a educational spectrum. To further elaborate, a vital resource that was recommended by the Commander who holds high ranking for the Forest Service is Police One. Police one is a hands on course that shows real life events, lecture format information, quizzes, and exams that help you learn and retain important aspects of the law enforcement field. With these courses being taught by current, retired and defense officers, police one has made me more knowledgeable and informed of imperative topics needed to succeed as a law enforcement officer. By completing over 16 courses ranging from 1-3 hours, the knowledge acquired will help me apply it in the field. To conclude, a day in the life as a Law Enforcement Intern ranges from day to day with each day being different, leaving your imprint on the community. By earning the opportunity from Environment for the Americas which I am thankful for, having widescale exposure in this respective field, and having great mentors to learn from, I definitely feel more prepared for the field of law enforcement, a exciting moment of my life. Until next time!