NIU students have the opportunity to gain practical experience and learn about police department activities through an internship program offered by the DeKalb Police Department and the NIU sociology department.

“The purpose of the internship is to give students a good understanding of what goes on within the police department and to show them what is required of a police department,” DeKalb Police Lt. Chuck Kross said.

However, in order to qualify for the internship there are a few rules.

An applicant must have at least a junior status. They also should be a sociology major with a criminology or law enforcement emphasis and a student in good standing, said NIU sociology Professor Jack King.

King is the internship coordinator for the sociology department.

“The internship with the DeKalb Police Department is a very popular one,” he said. “Every semester, especially spring and summer, there are a lot of interested students for the internship. However, there are only a few positions open.”

The duties of the internship varies from semester to semester.

“This semester there are two interns whose major duty will be developing a survey for DeKalb police employees. They will also be involved in working with different police divisions and they will also ride along with police officers,” Kross said.

“Ride alongs give the interns a broad overview of the duties that the police perform,” Kross said. “The survey they are developing enables them to spend time getting to know the officers.”

However, work is also required by the sociology department for the student to earn three credits toward their degree. “There are various writing assignments, class seminars and a term paper that the interns must complete,” King said.

Although there is plenty of work involved, NIU senior Hamilton Williams, a sociology major, said he took the internship because he wanted to learn about what policing was about.

Williams has other reasons for taking the internship, too. “I hope the internship position will give me enough experience to go into a police department with some knowledge,” he said. “I also hope this internship position will provide me with good references for future employment.”

The internship has been available for more than 15 years and the opinions about it have been high.

“It’s a really good program,” King said. “It allows the student to become involved with more sophisticated works,” he said. “The internship blends college classroom theory with practical experience.”

It also has made a change in one student’s attitude. “After seeing firsthand what they (police officers) go through, I respect them for what they do,” said Williams.