Inside Connecticut’s Public Safety System
Contributed by: Sarah Hoffman ’27, Criminal Justice & Psychology
The opportunity to intern with the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) has been a life-changing experience. Through this internship, I have been able to tour and learn about various state, federal, and local agencies that handle emergency situations and public safety. Without these lessons, I would not have been able to create more direct goals when it comes to my future career.
The first key experience I had was on the very first day of this internship. Director Curtis Eller clearly elaborated on what was expected of us and what he hoped we would get out of this internship. I was able to learn about the main departments that are overseen by DESPP, as well as what collective bargaining means when it comes to job searching. Director Eller also heavily emphasized the importance of getting to know the people around you in order to network and build strong connections, which I have been able to do.
The next main experience was when we went to the P.O.S.T. Academy in Meriden and learned about criminal profiling with Dave Cruickshank. Mr. Cruickshank is a seasoned detective with the State of Connecticut and taught us how he works through his cases. He gave us the opportunity to build a profile based on one of his previous cases, and it was extremely informative and exciting. After the lesson, I went up to talk to him about what he does. Mr. Cruickshank could immediately tell that I had a background in psychology and highly recommended that I pursue the detective route, which I had been considering. Hearing those words from a professional like him deeply inspired me to explore those possibilities down the road. This was by far the most important moment of the internship because it helped solidify my previous career goals and gave me confidence that I could excel in the detective and investigative fields.
The third important experience was when we got to meet K-9s and their handlers. I have always had a love for dogs, and I work extremely well with them. I loved learning about how they are trained and how the handlers interact with the K-9s. All of these moments were so important to me because they provided not only hands-on learning, but also the opportunity to ask professionals questions about their roles, lifestyles, and what led them to these careers.
This internship has a strong connection to various criminal justice concepts I have learned about. I was able to view behind-the-scenes aspects of everyday law enforcement and emergency response. It was fascinating to learn how the State of Connecticut has improved and implemented changes in order to provide more accountability and awareness for officers. I learned so many things that correlate with what I have learned in my criminal justice courses, such as use of force, basic training, and community policing. I loved learning about the community efforts that have been put in place to improve relationships between police and local communities that have faced discrimination. Additionally, I found it extremely important how much mental health training is emphasized in policing and that agencies are always looking for new training opportunities to improve responses to calls. This internship confirmed many things that I learned in class, but most importantly, it gave me real-life examples of how these lessons play out. I think it is so important to learn in a classroom setting and then go out into the real world to see how it actually works.
The DESPP internship has helped me shape my understanding of the criminal justice system and agencies in the State of Connecticut. As someone from a larger state, I enjoy how interconnected and close every agency is. I’ve been able to learn more about the human side of things and how much these departments need strong people who can think critically. I’ve been able to further develop my leadership skills and learn when and how to take charge in different situations. I was surprised to learn how much the state has changed since the early 2000s when it comes to basic training, accountability, and adapting to modern times. This internship has helped shape my future goals, and I can now confidently say that I want to go into a profession where I can help people in a public safety role.