My internship was performed at the Madison Police Department in Madison, Wisconsin. The Madison Police Department is comprised of over 400 sworn officers, which cover five districts with an estimated population of 250,000 people. The districts include: (1) North; (2) South; (3) West; (4) East; and (5) Central. In addition, a new sixth Midtown District is set to open in 2017. My primary duty location was at the West District working with the Community Policing Team (CPT). However, while my internship was primarily with the CPT, I had the opportunity to work with other units within the Madison Police Department, including the Special Events Team (SET), Forensic Unit, and the Dane County Narcotics Task Force.
Community policing is a fairly …show more content…
In a statement by Lt. Jim Glennon (Ret), “For law enforcement professionals, communication skills are the most important of all the skills necessary to succeed in your profession” (Glennon, 2010). Communication is not only verbal, but visual as well. On a daily basis, officers interact with individuals with diverse backgrounds, which can influence how an officer will converse. On the flip side, the way an officer conducts and presents his or her self will determine how an individual or suspect will respond to an officer. If an officer conducts his or her self as rude or arrogant, the less likely an individual will be to cooperate, which can hinder an investigation. Second, critical thinking and problem solving is a crucial skill all Task Force officers must possess. This allows officers to differentiate fact from fiction and remove any bias during an investigation to logically examine complex problems and come to a solution based on the evidence. Third, detectives and undercover officers must be knowledgeable and posses a firm and complete understanding of the law. This is important to avoid any illegal actions and to validate investigations. Therefore, a comprehensive up to date knowledge of laws and regulations at the local, state and federal levels is necessary. Fourth, it is important that detectives and undercover officers have good judgment and decision-making skills. Often, undercover officers are placed in situations where they must make quick decisions, which could have a dramatic impact on themselves and others. They must assess whether or not the benefits will outweigh the risks. For example, during a tail on a dangerous drug dealer, the undercover officers had to decide if the risk of attempting to make a contact with the target while in his vehicle outweighs the potential for risking public safety if they believe it could turn into a high-speed pursuit. The fifth and
Community policing is a fairly …show more content…
In a statement by Lt. Jim Glennon (Ret), “For law enforcement professionals, communication skills are the most important of all the skills necessary to succeed in your profession” (Glennon, 2010). Communication is not only verbal, but visual as well. On a daily basis, officers interact with individuals with diverse backgrounds, which can influence how an officer will converse. On the flip side, the way an officer conducts and presents his or her self will determine how an individual or suspect will respond to an officer. If an officer conducts his or her self as rude or arrogant, the less likely an individual will be to cooperate, which can hinder an investigation. Second, critical thinking and problem solving is a crucial skill all Task Force officers must possess. This allows officers to differentiate fact from fiction and remove any bias during an investigation to logically examine complex problems and come to a solution based on the evidence. Third, detectives and undercover officers must be knowledgeable and posses a firm and complete understanding of the law. This is important to avoid any illegal actions and to validate investigations. Therefore, a comprehensive up to date knowledge of laws and regulations at the local, state and federal levels is necessary. Fourth, it is important that detectives and undercover officers have good judgment and decision-making skills. Often, undercover officers are placed in situations where they must make quick decisions, which could have a dramatic impact on themselves and others. They must assess whether or not the benefits will outweigh the risks. For example, during a tail on a dangerous drug dealer, the undercover officers had to decide if the risk of attempting to make a contact with the target while in his vehicle outweighs the potential for risking public safety if they believe it could turn into a high-speed pursuit. The fifth and