NCJ Number
130379
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1990) Pages: 58-60
Date Published
1990
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Police Intern Program in the Casper Police Department in Wyoming is described with particular focus on the purpose of police internship.
Abstract
The point of the program is to involve the new police officer in the organization prior to the academy experience, field training, and bestowing of police credentials and off duty weapons. Thus the recruit can concentrate on the entire organization and its function, not just on an isolated subculture. In the Casper Police Intern program, police recruit officers do not receive the credentials of a fully experienced and training police officer until well into their first year. It moves from recruitment and selection to orientation which includes facility tours and policy reviews and presentations from key unit, section, and division heads about their areas of responsibility. During internship the officer interacts with all members of the organization through assignments and actual work duties. However, recruits are not directly involved in enforcement activity and cannot pose as a fully trained police officer. In this way, litigations for inexperienced officers are greatly diminished. 1 figure and 7 references