Personal Narrative: My Internship With The Thomasville Police Department

During the summer of 2016, I worked an internship with the Thomasville Police Department. The main idea behind this internship was to gain exposure to law enforcement and learn what a career as a police officer is like on a daily basis. During my internship I was able to ride with all four of the patrol units, which I enjoyed the most because that is what I am hoping to do after graduation. However, I was also able to observe the Criminal Investigation Division, as well as, ride with the traffic unit, which gave me an understanding of some of the other job possibilities in law enforcement. Thomasville, North Carolina is located in the triad and is surrounded by much larger cities such as Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. Thomasville is only approximately 11 square miles, with a population of roughly 27,000 people. The Thomasville Police Department is a smaller agency with roughly 65 sworn officers, which includes all patrol units, special units, high ranking officers, and obviously the chief. The small department in a small town gives the citizens the opportunity to get to know officers, as well as, officers the chance to know the citizens …show more content…
The officers want to get to know the citizens they serve because it makes their job easier and more rewarding. The approach the Thomasville Police Department uses is called community-oriented policing. Community policing not only makes an officers job feel safer and make it easier, but it also causes citizens to feel better about the people that are protecting them. When citizens feel safer and when police officers feel safer the opportunity for lower crimes and better living is a great possibility. With all the stigmatism surrounding law enforcement today, it is absolutely vital for police departments to engage in community oriented