Partnerships
University Police Department Internship Program
Proposal for a Joint Program between the University Police Department and the Forensic Science Program
Title
Auxiliary Campus Police Officer
About the Program
The GWPD Police Auxiliary Officer program will be a joint venture between the George Washington University’s Department of Forensic Sciences and the University Police Department. The program will be open to all Forensic Science students, but will be targeted for all students in the Crime Scene Investigation concentration. The program will allow students to apply their classroom knowledge first hand in real life situations, while gaining valuable law enforcement experience.
Requirements
Students who participate will be required to volunteer 6 hours per week. If they do that for the four semesters that they are here working on their degree, this initiative will provide them with a minimum of 384 hours of experience.
Students may choose to do this for academic credit under the Practicum Class (FORS 298).
Training
The training for the Auxiliary Campus Police Officer would be similar to that required of a commissioned Special Police Officer in DC (The requirements for Campus Police Officer commission are more stringent than the requirements for a basic Special Police Officer Commission).
At the end of the training, the student will have the option to officially apply for a Special Police Officer Commission through the Security Officer’s Management Branch.
The training will include a minimum of the following:
- 16 hours of Pre-Assignment Training, including:
- DC Code
- Use of Force
- Search and Seizure
- Arrest Powers
- 24 hours of Job Related Training, including:
- Terrorism Awareness
- Including suspicious packages, building evacuation, unknown substances
- Emergency Procedures, including emergency First-Aid and CPR
- Customer Service
- 40 hours of Field Training
Areas of Study
Students will typically rotate through three areas of the GW Police Department, as described below. If the student has scheduling restrictions, i.e. he/she is unable to volunteer during the day or during the evening hours, the student may be assigned to spend the required 6 hours per week in one of three different areas within the GW Police Department:
- Patrol/Operations (highlighting preliminary investigation and response to incidents)
- Crime Prevention (highlighting victims’ services and educational initiatives)
- Investigation (highlighting investigative techniques and the use of physical security equipment in investigations)
Benefits
The Auxiliary Campus Police program would provide students with valuable practical law enforcement experience and additional professional references.
It would require students to participate in an in-depth background check that includes; Sex Offender Registry check, driver’s license check, professional and personal reference check, NCIC/Wales check, a criminal background check, and psychological evaluation.
The training and background investigation provided would allow the student to become a commissioned Special Police Officer in the District of Columbia.
The variety of areas of participation will allow students to adjust the times they volunteer to fit their work and school schedules. Students can also seek a full internship with the GW Police Department that will satisfy the Forensic Sciences internship requirement.
Initiatives for the Future
- Students will also be able to collaborate with the DC Mobile Crime Lab as well as the DC Medical Examiner, helping to build inter-agency collaboration.
- The program may expand in the future to include undergraduate criminal justice students.
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