What Is LINK?
LINK Internships are a three week long work experience where students get to go out into the real world and gain job experience. Students search for a mentor in the field that they are interested in and shadow them for the three weeks. These internships also include a project that the student created with the help of their mentor. At the end of their experience students go back to school to present their experiences and projects.
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Farmington Police DepartmentMISSION STATEMENT
The Farmington Police Department is dedicated to a safe community through professional law enforcement. The Farmington Police Department is an internationally accredited and progressive law enforcement agency committed to maintaining the highest standards of personal and organizational integrity while providing our community with a superior level of service. Department challenges are met by remaining responsive to community needs, employing innovative crime-fighting strategies, implementing state-of-the-art technology, and providing leadership to our young people through effective crime prevention and intervention programs (Farmington Police Department Website). |
LINK Reflection
For my LINK I worked with a CSI at the Farmington PD. I got to ride along with my mentor to crime scenes and assist with processing evidence in the crime lab. During my time with my mentor, I went to calls on recovered stolen vehicular, a search warrant for burglary, an armed robbery, an accidental death, and a homicide. I also helped with other cases where I didn’t go on the scene, for example, One of the cases I helped with was a narcotics case where I processed a ladder for fingerprints as well as some tape where we used a chemical called gentine violet. While at some points the internship was intense and could be upsetting, I really loved it and would want to pursue this as a career option. I've already started looking a colleges with programs in forensics.
My project was to inventory all of the items in the crime lab. My mentors Lt. requested a list of all of the items so that they could keep track of everything in the lab. While inventorying wasn't a highlight or nearly as cool as what I got to do, it was game changer for the department and they will be using the spreadsheet I made in the future.
The skills that were most useful coming into LINK was communication and organization. Before I got to know my mentor I had to keep my communication very formal. This was mainly because I was emailing a member of the Police Department and because it was an internship opportunity. After I got to meet my mentor, I was able to be less formal but I still had to communicate a lot with her on missing days for soccer. I also had to be very organized with my schedule. I had to be able to know when I had soccer and the time it would start. I also needed to be able to organize items that I logged for my project. This way the items could be easily found in the categories that I created.
The most important skill I developed during LINK was pushing through and doing the stuff I didn’t want to do. During those three weeks, I had a project that I didn’t enjoy much. I had to take inventory of everything in the Crime Lab. I undertook this project because the Lt. at the Detective Division needed someone to get log the items there so that it could be used if anything was stolen on went missing. While it was a game changer for my mentor and the division, it was horribly boring and I struggled to complete it. Sometimes I would walk in and not want to do any of the work I had to do or try to find ways to avoid it. However, as the weeks went on I was able to make a system where I would spend ten to twenty minutes on a section or category in the project then take a five-minute break. That way I could break up the work on the project.
I grew more with getting up early and getting to the department on time. I had to get up early to get to the department by 7:30 and that was hard for me. Throughout the school year, I have never gotten to school on time, I was always fifteen minutes or more late. This internship was like going to a job, so I couldn’t be late. If I was late I would have to communicate with my mentor. I also saw a lot of difficult things when I was in my internship. When I went to some of the crime scenes I saw deceased persons. I didn’t both me in the sense that I had to throw up or pass out, it was just very strange seeing someone who was no longer living right in front of me. I ended up talking about what I saw with my mom and my mentor and it helped me a lot.
During my LINK I helped my mentor process evidence in the crime lab. I processed two pieces of evidence from a narcotics case that included dusting a ladder for fingerprints and mixing chemicals to put an adhesive tape in. In a stolen vehicle case I help process casino a voucher and food receipts for fingerprints. When I went on crime scenes, I helped look for evidence. I also was able to identify a shoe print in a stolen vehicle case. In the homicide case, I helped look for the stab wounds that killed the victim and move his body into a body bag. In the electrocution case, I also help move the victim's body. I think a mentor should accept a high school student for an internship because if they have the right attitude, they have a willingness to learn and want to help out. In my case, I understood more recent popular culture and what younger people do better than others, so I could help more in that capacity.
This internship experience has helped me plan for college by narrowing down my search to look for programs that encompass forensic science. I’ve found certified programs at the University of Tampa Bay and Southern Oregon University. Because of LINK, I’ve started emailing college soccer coaches at these institutions so that I can play soccer and learn the things I’m interested in.
Below is a Log of the cases I helped work on and my project.
My project was to inventory all of the items in the crime lab. My mentors Lt. requested a list of all of the items so that they could keep track of everything in the lab. While inventorying wasn't a highlight or nearly as cool as what I got to do, it was game changer for the department and they will be using the spreadsheet I made in the future.
The skills that were most useful coming into LINK was communication and organization. Before I got to know my mentor I had to keep my communication very formal. This was mainly because I was emailing a member of the Police Department and because it was an internship opportunity. After I got to meet my mentor, I was able to be less formal but I still had to communicate a lot with her on missing days for soccer. I also had to be very organized with my schedule. I had to be able to know when I had soccer and the time it would start. I also needed to be able to organize items that I logged for my project. This way the items could be easily found in the categories that I created.
The most important skill I developed during LINK was pushing through and doing the stuff I didn’t want to do. During those three weeks, I had a project that I didn’t enjoy much. I had to take inventory of everything in the Crime Lab. I undertook this project because the Lt. at the Detective Division needed someone to get log the items there so that it could be used if anything was stolen on went missing. While it was a game changer for my mentor and the division, it was horribly boring and I struggled to complete it. Sometimes I would walk in and not want to do any of the work I had to do or try to find ways to avoid it. However, as the weeks went on I was able to make a system where I would spend ten to twenty minutes on a section or category in the project then take a five-minute break. That way I could break up the work on the project.
I grew more with getting up early and getting to the department on time. I had to get up early to get to the department by 7:30 and that was hard for me. Throughout the school year, I have never gotten to school on time, I was always fifteen minutes or more late. This internship was like going to a job, so I couldn’t be late. If I was late I would have to communicate with my mentor. I also saw a lot of difficult things when I was in my internship. When I went to some of the crime scenes I saw deceased persons. I didn’t both me in the sense that I had to throw up or pass out, it was just very strange seeing someone who was no longer living right in front of me. I ended up talking about what I saw with my mom and my mentor and it helped me a lot.
During my LINK I helped my mentor process evidence in the crime lab. I processed two pieces of evidence from a narcotics case that included dusting a ladder for fingerprints and mixing chemicals to put an adhesive tape in. In a stolen vehicle case I help process casino a voucher and food receipts for fingerprints. When I went on crime scenes, I helped look for evidence. I also was able to identify a shoe print in a stolen vehicle case. In the homicide case, I helped look for the stab wounds that killed the victim and move his body into a body bag. In the electrocution case, I also help move the victim's body. I think a mentor should accept a high school student for an internship because if they have the right attitude, they have a willingness to learn and want to help out. In my case, I understood more recent popular culture and what younger people do better than others, so I could help more in that capacity.
This internship experience has helped me plan for college by narrowing down my search to look for programs that encompass forensic science. I’ve found certified programs at the University of Tampa Bay and Southern Oregon University. Because of LINK, I’ve started emailing college soccer coaches at these institutions so that I can play soccer and learn the things I’m interested in.
Below is a Log of the cases I helped work on and my project.