OCSD INTERNSHIP 2019

Initial Reflection:

Before starting my internship at the Overton County Sheriff's Department, suffice to say that I was clueless regarding the day-to-day operations of a small town law enforcement entity. I had expected to go into the internship knowledgeable of the theories surrounding police behavior, but the experience thus far has changed my outlook. I thought I would gravitate more towards the victims coming into the department, but found that my interest lies more with the officers themselves and how they manage their impressions toward the public. I have applied much of my formal education into my internship position by conversing with officers about particular cases and discussing new evidence-based programs with the Sheriff and general sessions judge to consider implementing. Since I have been considering law school after my undergraduate degree, this internship is invaluable. I feel as if I am able to see more clearly why officers have such difficult discretionary decisions during a regular patrol, as I occasionally ride along with deputies. I am also permitted to attend general sessions court, and being able to watch attorneys, deputies, defendants, and the judge in action paint a better picture of what my future could hold. 
Due to this opportunity, I have come to recognize some areas of myself that need improvement for real world jobs in law. These areas include further developing my interpersonal skills, improving how I communicate to others, and, surprisingly, becoming less focused on objectivity. I include the part about objectivity because I have often thought of objective decisions to be the rational choice, however, being completely objective ignores the emotional side to each case, as they are each unique. The people that come into the department to report an offense or visit their loved ones in jail are subjective to their situation and sometimes that subjectivity breeds trust. When a deputy focuses purely on numbers and arrest histories, the idea of a person being capable of good after committing crimes is demolished. After walking through the jail on only my fourth day of interning, I felt a tug at my own emotions as I recognized many of the inmates as previous schoolmates I had. Numbers, arrest rates, criminal history, and substance abuse history are not the only criteria we need to consider. People are people and we need to treat them as such.