Intern Experiences Police Ride Along

Interns for INTERPOL Washington get to make valuable connections with law enforcement during their participation in the six-month program. As an INTERPOL Washington intern, Rachelle Tugade had the opportunity to experience a Police Ride Along with a Prince George’s County Police Officer. This allowed her to accompany the officer during their tour of duty in a police vehicle and act as an observer for the day. The evening started out quietly enough. The officer told her of his previous experiences as a police officer and what it’s like to work in the area. He took her on a detour of the neighborhood and explained the different criminal scenarios that have happened in those areas, which included stabbings, drug overdoses, and assaults. As the police officer put it, “The neighborhood looks normal on the outside, but it’s what’s behind closed doors that matters.”

As the hours passed, things started to liven up a bit as they went to a variety of scenes and served as backup for other officers. Rachelle witnessed a hit-and-run car crash in a residential area, was present at a scene of a robbery at a local store, and went inside different apartment complexes to respond to residents’ emergency phone calls. The officer also introduced her to his colleagues, who told her stories of crazy scenarios they have had to deal with in the past. Overall, Rachelle’s ride along experience was great! She didn’t quite know what to expect, but she’s very glad her internship gave her this opportunity. It definitely broadened her respect for law enforcement and she would recommend anyone interested in law enforcement to contact a local police department and experience a police ride along. For more information on INTERPOL Washington’s internships, please see https://www.justice.gov/interpol-washington/internships.

A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL Washington is co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As the designated representative to INTERPOL on behalf of the Attorney General, INTERPOL Washington serves as the national point of contact for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the United States.