Criminal Justice and Homeland Security Major Gains Experience Interning at Local Police Department

We caught up with Bree Gazaille ’24, a Criminal Justice and Homeland Security major, to learn more about her role as a summer intern with the Adams Police Department.

Bree is getting a firsthand look at what it means to be a police officer by shadowing a patrolman. Because her internship is at an active police department and she is not yet a sworn police officer, Bree cannot complete reports or police duties, but is still gaining valuable experience.

“I participate in ride-a-longs, evaluate police reports, study active and reoccurring criminal laws, react to emergency calls, witness traffic violation stops, observe arrests, transport offenders to court and interact with the public,” she explained.

Her day-to-day tasks and responsibilities vary, because of the complex and constantly changing nature of the work.

“Because my days depend on the community, every day is different,” Bree said. “With this internship, my day is dictated by emergency calls and investigations.”

This internship is directly preparing Bree to accomplish her first professional goal after she graduates from Dean: to become a police officer.

“It is the meaningful purpose of this job, the desire to serve my community and the impact of less crime in society, that I desire,” she explained.

By receiving first-hand experience within the world of law enforcement, Bree is not only able to confirm that this is the career she wants to pursue, but also connecting her studies at Dean to the real world.

“The classes I have participated in have given me a solid baseline of information, which allowed me to understand what was happening around me during my internship,” Bree said. “I was able to follow along in conversations, reports, court sessions and one-on-one lessons. I was able to connect the textbook lessons from my classes to real-world experiences.

Having this internship experience is also helping me acknowledge the skills that I possess and the skills that I still need to develop.”

Bree also credits her coursework and this internship in helping her grow as an individual.

“Dean College has helped me gain the confidence and professionalism needed to pursue my current internship, as well as take steps toward my desired career,” she said. “Without the help of professors and other staff members, I would have never stepped out of my comfort zone and had this amazing opportunity.”

At Dean College, 100% of students complete an internship – and quite a few of them are participating in internships this summer. Learn more about internship opportunities and Criminal Justice and Homeland Security at Dean College.