During the first semester of the 2016-17 school year, SHS seniors Dylan Brady, Nicole Finnerty, Charli Jacobs and Casey Connors participated in an internship at the Scituate police station. The internship program is offered through Mr. Ranieri’s School to Career Internship class. All four students wanted to be a part of the internship when SHS Resource Officer Sarah Fantasia spoke to their class about the professional duties and responsibilities of police officers. Finnerty stated, “The internship seemed very interesting, and I wanted to learn more about law enforcement.” To qualify for the program, the students had to write a letter to Officer Fantasia, and they were selected based on their level of interest.

During the internship, students were able to attend court proceedings and learn the ins and outs of the legal system. Interacting with the K9 unit was also a highlight of the internship.  Students were permitted to join ride-alongs, and they could sit-in with dispatch within the police department.  They were also able to conduct informational interviews with detectives, harbor masters and other officials.

Interning with the police department was eye-opening for the students. Jacobs, who wants to pursue a job in the criminal justice system after college, said she used to think police officers were “bad people,” which was based on some of her research and stories she’s seen on the news.  However, after spending time at the police station, she said, “I felt very welcomed going there, and it’s always smiles when they see me.” Jacobs described how she opened up to members of the department more than she thought she would. All of the interns said their experience taught them to value and thank police  officers.

Connors said, “These officers are really passionate and just want to see good things happen in the town. None of them are out there to just ruin your day.” This sentiment was echoed by the other three seniors. Brady said, “It’s just important to remember that they are doing their job. We should all appreciate the service that they do for our town, and we should all step in to get rid of these negative stereotypes.”

All four seniors described how the interactions they had with police officers were “humanizing.” Connors said, “Just being with the officers and seeing who they are as people, meeting and interacting with them, made me feel so comfortable.”  Brady described how the police station and officers were all normal people: “They are just people who love their job — they aren’t strict, uptight individuals like everyone seems to think.”

Finnerty and Brady said their favorite part of the experience was the riding along with an officer and learning about the law. They observed first-hand what officers look for and think of while on patrol. Jacobs said her favorite aspect was interacting with the K9 unit. Jacobs saw how the dogs were obedient and trained to be a representative of law enforcement. Connors said her favorite part of the internship was attending court, where she was able to observe debates and trials. She learned about the codes and responsibilities of law enforcement inside the courtrooms.

Brady, Connors, Finnerty and Jacobs all agreed the knowledge they gained during their internship at the police station was very valuable: They walked away from the experience with a much deeper appreciation for police work.