Being in an academy, I am constantly asked and instructed to remember why I want to be in law enforcement. The first reason would be the obvious choice in that I like to help people. I was raised by a family that believes if you have the means to help someone, you should. Not for a reward or a favor in return but because it is the right thing to do. Now I know I won't be able to help everyone I deal with on the job but helping even one person who needed help is worth it to me.
Another reason I want to join this career field is my family. Now I do not have a whole lot of family in law enforcement but those that are have helped in my decision but it is my family members that are not in law enforcement that really influenced me. I am aware that bad things can happen to the best of people because there are bad people out there willing to hurt good people. I know that is a broad statement and the typical "I want to catch bad guys" speech you would normally here but its true. I want to do my part in taking those that have no regard for the rest of society off the streets and put away so they can get any help they may need to become better themselves or just stay isolated away from the rest of the populace, especially my family.
Speaking of family leads me to my next reason and the last I'll talk about, the family atmosphere and teamwork of law enforcement. When you work an extremely stressful job were at times your life is in danger and your depend on you coworkers to make sure you get home every night, a pretty strong bond is formed. Growing up playing soccer, I have been part of a team my whole life. I wanted a career that would allow me to continue being part of a team in which I could depend on others who could depend on me as well. This type of atmosphere helps drive you to get better and be better. I am a pretty loyal person and there isn't much I wouldn't do to help my family and friends.
These three reasons are only three reason I would like to join law enforcement. There are many other reasons that are a little more selfish like driving a car with sirens, chasing people, good benefits, and all the cool gear. Those are perks to look forward to but I wouldn't be honest if I said I wasn't thinking of them.
Friday, November 20, 2015
District Attorney's office
On of the things I have noticed during my internship is the fragile but important relationship between law enforcement and the DA's office. Sacramento county is backed up in case work and the DA's office wither not taking certain cases or pleading out with almost no punishment for certain offenders. This pertains to the insurance fraud division as well. Because there are so many cases of insurance fraud, not all cases are pursued and people simply get away with it. Putting it as simple as possible I would say that as long as a person doesn't commit a major case of insurance fraud they will not be prosecuted and even then some of the larger cases are turned down because the DA will say there is not enough evidence. There have been incidents where detectives have been working a case for a over a month and believe they have all the evidence they need to make an arrest and the DA will deny a warrant request because the case wouldn't be an "easy" win. Now I say these things based on my perspective of listening to the detectives. I do not believe the DAs are just looking for easy wins to boost their resume, I believe the issue again lies in the amount of cases that are being tried and the courts being backed up. To be cost efficient with the budget, only bigger cases with strong evidence are being considered for pursuit.
Part of my duties as an intern is too look over fraud claims sent in from Insurance companies. reading through the claims I am able to tell which claims the department will be able to pursue and which will be turned down due to the amount of loss related to the claim, no injuries, or lack of evidence to investigate.
Too many criminals, not enough good guys.
Part of my duties as an intern is too look over fraud claims sent in from Insurance companies. reading through the claims I am able to tell which claims the department will be able to pursue and which will be turned down due to the amount of loss related to the claim, no injuries, or lack of evidence to investigate.
Too many criminals, not enough good guys.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Down Time
When I first started the internship I was lucky enough to join when there were multiple field operations I could help with such as the search warrants. The last couple of weeks have been a little slower around the office as the detectives wait to chase a new lead or gather more information. Usually this allows me the down time to catch up on other assignments such as creating evidence boxes and writing "fake" reports off of cases that aren't being worked yet.
If it gets really slow I try and ask the detectives to fill me on one of their cases that they are working and listen to how they plan on pursuing it and if they think they can get a conviction or not. I was surprised to find that there are quite a few cases in which a detective and his/her partners will spend a lot of time investigating just to have the case rejected by a District attorney or not even reported to the district attorney cause there was not enough information or evidence gathered to make an arrest. This doesn't happen because the detectives did anything wrong but simply there wasn't enough evidence to prove anything. It is not like the television shows where they catch the suspects almost every time or find some sort of evidence with every lead they follow. A majority of the work being done is from a desk or a phone.
If it gets really slow I try and ask the detectives to fill me on one of their cases that they are working and listen to how they plan on pursuing it and if they think they can get a conviction or not. I was surprised to find that there are quite a few cases in which a detective and his/her partners will spend a lot of time investigating just to have the case rejected by a District attorney or not even reported to the district attorney cause there was not enough information or evidence gathered to make an arrest. This doesn't happen because the detectives did anything wrong but simply there wasn't enough evidence to prove anything. It is not like the television shows where they catch the suspects almost every time or find some sort of evidence with every lead they follow. A majority of the work being done is from a desk or a phone.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Leadership
How does leadership play a role in your internship? How do your co-workers or supervisor display leadership capabilities?
Leadership plays a major role in my internship. Being in law enforcement, following the chain of command is extremely important. Within my departments, the clear leadership is those of higher ranks that the lower ranks report too. The Captain oversees the sergeants and makes sure that they are performing their duties as well as provide any assistance they may need to properly perform their duties. The sergeants perform the same leadership duties in essence but have less individuals under their command.But even the lower level detectives must portray leadership in their duties. When working their cases they portray their leadership abilities through communicating with outside agencies such as the DA. They have to coordinate with suspects and witnesses to properly gather all the proper information to prosecute the case. Anyone within law enforcement is required to posses basic leadership skills to perform their duties properly.
Are you able to demonstrate any leadership skills?
I am able to show a small amount of leadership in the performance of my duties. When given an assignment, I sometimes have to work with others on completing the assignment. Communicating properly to others what I need from them and how they can help accomplish my assignment.
Leadership plays a major role in my internship. Being in law enforcement, following the chain of command is extremely important. Within my departments, the clear leadership is those of higher ranks that the lower ranks report too. The Captain oversees the sergeants and makes sure that they are performing their duties as well as provide any assistance they may need to properly perform their duties. The sergeants perform the same leadership duties in essence but have less individuals under their command.But even the lower level detectives must portray leadership in their duties. When working their cases they portray their leadership abilities through communicating with outside agencies such as the DA. They have to coordinate with suspects and witnesses to properly gather all the proper information to prosecute the case. Anyone within law enforcement is required to posses basic leadership skills to perform their duties properly.
Are you able to demonstrate any leadership skills?
I am able to show a small amount of leadership in the performance of my duties. When given an assignment, I sometimes have to work with others on completing the assignment. Communicating properly to others what I need from them and how they can help accomplish my assignment.
The Importance of this department
Take a minute and ask yourself when you think of insurance fraud what do you think of? For most, I would believe most think of paperwork and just simply dishonest people just trying to make extra money without harming people.
Yes it is very common for people to simply destroy their own property or say their was more damage to their vehicle after an accident then there really was. These cases don't physically affect other individuals. Unfortunately their is also another side of insurance fraud that is committed by the worst type of people who have no regard for others. I will give an example of one case that is being worked by one of the detectives.
A basic summary of this case would be the suspect was driving his car down one of the major streets in Sacramento during rush hour with the intent of causing an accident. In order to accomplish this he would wait in stop-and-go traffic and cut into lanes when gaps appeared, an then slamming on his breaks unnecessarily in attempt to cause the car behind him to rear end him. After unsuccessfully attempting this maneuver on different cars, the suspect finally got a car to hit him. The car that hit him was an elderly couple in their 70s. The man was only in a minor accident in which minor damage was visible but did not leave his car and requested medical attention when others went to check on the accident. The elderly couple were luckily not harmed in the situation.
Luckily in this case, one of the individuals who failed to run into the back of the suspects car recognized what was going on and when he witnessed the accident he pulled over to check on the scene and give his statement to the responding officers. In this situation the responding officers do not have the proper evidence to give any citations or make any arrests. The suspect is free to go and file his insurance claim that he was hit and that the elderly couple was at fault. The insurance company of the elderly couple is the agency that sent us the case file to review. Case still pending
Now this isn't an uncommon occurrence. Staged accidents and involving innocent people in the ploy of collecting money through insurance fraud happens quite often. Imagine if the elderly couple had gotten hurt, then imagine it was your grandparents or your parents that were hurt. This is just one of the important reasons investigating and reporting insurance fraud is so important. Insurance fraud isn't just a financial issue to society but a criminally negligent and violent issue as well.
Yes it is very common for people to simply destroy their own property or say their was more damage to their vehicle after an accident then there really was. These cases don't physically affect other individuals. Unfortunately their is also another side of insurance fraud that is committed by the worst type of people who have no regard for others. I will give an example of one case that is being worked by one of the detectives.
A basic summary of this case would be the suspect was driving his car down one of the major streets in Sacramento during rush hour with the intent of causing an accident. In order to accomplish this he would wait in stop-and-go traffic and cut into lanes when gaps appeared, an then slamming on his breaks unnecessarily in attempt to cause the car behind him to rear end him. After unsuccessfully attempting this maneuver on different cars, the suspect finally got a car to hit him. The car that hit him was an elderly couple in their 70s. The man was only in a minor accident in which minor damage was visible but did not leave his car and requested medical attention when others went to check on the accident. The elderly couple were luckily not harmed in the situation.
Luckily in this case, one of the individuals who failed to run into the back of the suspects car recognized what was going on and when he witnessed the accident he pulled over to check on the scene and give his statement to the responding officers. In this situation the responding officers do not have the proper evidence to give any citations or make any arrests. The suspect is free to go and file his insurance claim that he was hit and that the elderly couple was at fault. The insurance company of the elderly couple is the agency that sent us the case file to review. Case still pending
Now this isn't an uncommon occurrence. Staged accidents and involving innocent people in the ploy of collecting money through insurance fraud happens quite often. Imagine if the elderly couple had gotten hurt, then imagine it was your grandparents or your parents that were hurt. This is just one of the important reasons investigating and reporting insurance fraud is so important. Insurance fraud isn't just a financial issue to society but a criminally negligent and violent issue as well.
Interviewing My Sergeant
For my interview I chose the Detective Sergeant in charge of the task force I am assigned to help. Here is what he had to say;
What are the main job responsibilities of your position?
- Not only do I do my part to carry out the mission and objectives of this department I also supervise a team of detectives who work on my assigned task force. It is my job to ensure the needs of the detectives are being met (equipment, raining, safety issues, etc). I oversee their cases and help where needed as well as review my own cases.
How did you choose this career field?
- I just saw it as a very interesting and rewarding job.
What type of education or training is needed for the position?
- A Bachelors degree is required for the department and prior law enforcement experience is preferred but not required. You will also need to graduate from a P.O.S.T. approved academy. Excellent verbal/written communication skills is also required to perform this job.
What advise would you give to someone interested in this field?
- It is important to maintain good character and leadership skills. Helping out in the community and doing community service is also a great idea not only because it shows your dedication to the community but gives a glimpse of your character. Community service is essentially what this job is. Study, Study, Study. enhancing your knowledge will only help with the performance of your duties as well as the ability to progress up in ranks through your career. It also helps to find a mentor in the law enforcement field to help you.
Do they notice any new trends in the field?
- It is a tough time to be joining law enforcement due to the renewed public/media scrutiny towards law enforcement. This is where the studying comes into play by knowing and following the law and department policy so you always know your doing the right thing.
Why would you be interested in this career field?
- There are many different reasons why someone would choose this career field. like I mentioned before, their are so many different jobs you can do such as patrol, corrections, investigations, air operations, and much more. Unlike a lot of other career fields, this job can be different day to day and it really appeals to those looking for a team environment. Not many people say they have coworkers who are willing to risk their lives for you if called upon. Also, even with the public scrutiny this job is extremely rewarding when your able to help someone and make a difference in their lives.
What are the main job responsibilities of your position?
- Not only do I do my part to carry out the mission and objectives of this department I also supervise a team of detectives who work on my assigned task force. It is my job to ensure the needs of the detectives are being met (equipment, raining, safety issues, etc). I oversee their cases and help where needed as well as review my own cases.
How did you choose this career field?
- I just saw it as a very interesting and rewarding job.
What type of education or training is needed for the position?
- A Bachelors degree is required for the department and prior law enforcement experience is preferred but not required. You will also need to graduate from a P.O.S.T. approved academy. Excellent verbal/written communication skills is also required to perform this job.
What advise would you give to someone interested in this field?
- It is important to maintain good character and leadership skills. Helping out in the community and doing community service is also a great idea not only because it shows your dedication to the community but gives a glimpse of your character. Community service is essentially what this job is. Study, Study, Study. enhancing your knowledge will only help with the performance of your duties as well as the ability to progress up in ranks through your career. It also helps to find a mentor in the law enforcement field to help you.
Do they notice any new trends in the field?
- It is a tough time to be joining law enforcement due to the renewed public/media scrutiny towards law enforcement. This is where the studying comes into play by knowing and following the law and department policy so you always know your doing the right thing.
Why would you be interested in this career field?
- There are many different reasons why someone would choose this career field. like I mentioned before, their are so many different jobs you can do such as patrol, corrections, investigations, air operations, and much more. Unlike a lot of other career fields, this job can be different day to day and it really appeals to those looking for a team environment. Not many people say they have coworkers who are willing to risk their lives for you if called upon. Also, even with the public scrutiny this job is extremely rewarding when your able to help someone and make a difference in their lives.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Preparing for Life After College
Although in my current situation I am technically still in school and a full time student, I am beginning to change mindset from student to ... well not being a student. With the internship and the academy, my mind has been constantly on the future and what the plan is. ever since high school i have been a student including summer school. I was able to live off of part time wages and the luxuries handed down from my parents such as furniture and my car. Although I have also been working since in high school, it wasn't a job that made me think of my future like I have been lately. It has come to the point where it is time to apply everything I studied in school to the career field I hope to achieve. I won't have the flexible schedule that is one of the best parts of college life where you can at times just take a spontaneous trips with your friends just because. Instead of thinking about what bar me and my friends will go to after I get home from work or school I find myself thinking about what I'll be making for breakfast as I am getting ready for bed. I am finding myself thinking about where I want to live and buy a house and all the other things that come with preparing to live life without homework and due dates for items you aren't getting paid to do. I'm excited for the future and feel prepared to move forward thanks greatly in part to my experiences through school.
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