Students interested in learning more about law enforcement while earning college credit have the opportunity to do so right here in Ames.

Each semester, the Ames Police Department offers internships each semester to students interested in learning more about law enforcement.

“There’s a couple things that we start out with that you absolutely have to have: a 2.5 GPA, sophomore standing or higher, [and] have to be entered into an internship program or something similar within the university,” said Dan Walter, Ames Police officer.

Applicants also must not have any felony convictions.

Although the internship would be most beneficial for students interested in law enforcement, students of all majors receive equal consideration in the application process.

“[The student’s major] has no bearing on it whatsoever,” Walter said.

During the internship, students gain experience in many different divisions within the Ames Police Department.

Walter said interns are required to serve time with the department’s patrol, dispatch and detective divisions.

Walter said the interns also “ride along with a community service officer, job-shadow the community resource officer and also the school resource officer.”

Walter said interns could only work a maximum of 20 hours a week. The precise number of hours worked depends on the student and his or her schedule.

“It kind of depends on how many credit hours they take,” Walter said.

“At a minimum, they ride two eight-hour shifts on patrol with each shift. [They need] 48 hours minimum just on patrol.”

Walter said interns usually work “a couple hundred hours” during the course of a semester and that, regardless of a student’s major, the internship provides a “positive learning environment.”

Mark Hagley, academic adviser of sociology, said the internship would be beneficial to anyone pursuing a career in sociology or criminal justice.

“In general, internships are very beneficial. They let students get a feel for what it’s like to work in that field. They allow the students to get experience while they are in college. Internships allow students to make network connections. That way, when they graduate, they know people in the field they can use as references,” Hagley said.

Even if students are not pursuing a career in criminal justice, Hagley said internships in areas of interest are always positive experiences.

“I think any internship can be beneficial to any student. A lot of the learning that occurs in college is gained outside of the classroom,” Hagley said. “[It’s] a great way to learn about that field and what that job entails and what type of issues people in that field address.”

Hagley said the internships are convenient because they meld well with students’ class schedules.

“There are other agencies in this area that allow students to do the same thing. The Story County Sheriff’s Department and Des Moines Police Department have students who commute for internships,” Hagley said.

The internship program can also help students choose their careers after graduation. Walter said one particular intern was leaning toward law enforcement but was not entirely sure of the career choice. The internship at the police department helped him decide what he really wanted to do.

“I did an internship in Johnson County, and that kind of helped me solidify that’s what I really wanted to do,” Walter said.

Walter said the department usually gets about four applicants a semester and usually takes no more than two.

Electronic applications are available on the Ames Police Department’s Web site. Along with the application, applicants must also submit a resume, a grade transcript, a letter of recommendation, a letter detailing why the applicant wants the internship and what he or she knows about the Ames Police Department and driving history.

Applications must be submitted prior to the beginning of the semester, and Walter said applications should be turned in by the first of the year, with decisions to be made during that week.

Although the internship does not pay, it does offer credit that can be applied toward graduation.