11 Jan Something I have learned as a law enforcment intern

As a Law Enforcement Intern I am constantly learning something new as every day goes on.

As I have stated in my previous post, no two days are the same. With that being said, you never know what each day will bring. Being able to adapt as needed is a very crucial part of this job and brings challenges along with the opportunity to make a positive impact on the area you are covering. Over the past few months me and my supervisor have encountered situations in the forest that we did not expect to come across. We have had to make quick decisions to ensure a safe and effective outcome. I have had the opportunity to develop skills and tools that make adapting to situations easier to navigate, although there is so much to learn. This internship has helped greatly in understanding what is expected of an officer. 

Here on the Fishlake National Forest in Southern Utah, we have a problem with grazing permittees. They allow their cattle to graze on forest lands past their permit dates. While it may not seem like a large issue if all the permitess do this practice and nothing happens as a result of it, a bad standard is set in terms of enforcing the regulations of the permittee. While on patrol within forest lands, we spend our time looking for violations and public land users that we can assist. We also look for cattle at the same time. Learning to be aware of my surroundings and paying attention to small details has helped me to notice and see potential issues that could occur before they happen.

I look forward to continued growth and development – Nate Muniz