I began my last day at the Governor’s Crime Commission, which takes place in a large conference room where members of the commission sit along an expansive wooden table to discuss matters on the day’s agenda. One of the first items of business on today’s agenda was swearing in new members of the commission. The new members rose from their seats to take an oath, which was read aloud by a judge. Next, the Executive Director, Carolina Valard, gave her updates. These updates included funding and budgeting information in regards to grants. Then, before voting on these grants, the commission was read the voting parameters. This was essentially an ethics reminder, as the parameters were that if a member has any conflicts of interest (whether it be financial or personal) with a grant, they must disclose it in writing and abstain from voting on it. After the Govnorer’s 2018 priorities were read (which included school safety, fighting against the opioid epidemic, and help for sexual assault victims), there was a presentation given on a software called the Law Enforcement Information Exchange (LINX). LINX is a software made for law enforcement by law enforcement. It is a database of information used to help solve crimes that is made up of data uploaded by law enforcement agencies nationwide. This data can be things like past police reports, pawn shop records, license plates, etc.
After the Governor’s Crime Commission ended, I went over to the Community Corrections facility, where I attended a small going away party for one of the employees. Although I didn’t know the employee personally, the impact that she has had on the community around her was obvious in the way that her colleagues spoke of her. Then, Mrs. Walker and Ms. Sonja Bennett (who works with Community Corrections at DPS) walked me around the facility. We stopped in Correction Enterprises, which is a showroom that showcases the various products that inmates make. While in prison, inmates learn how to make things like frames, windmills, upholstery, paper products, woodwork, and more. It’s a way for the inmates to learn skills while incarcerated so that it’ll be easier for them to reintegrate into society once they’re released. I was also able to listen in on a phone interview that Ms. Bennett conducted with the leader of a non-profit organization that works to build playgrounds for special needs children.
Sadly, I also had to say goodbye today. At the end of the day, I sat down to talk with Mrs. Walker (who has been my main host during the program). Before we said goodbye and parted ways, I asked her a question that I’d asked various people I’d worked with during my time at DPS: do you like your job? The employees at the Department of Public Safety deal with many serious topics and have a lot of pressure placed upon them, and I often wondered how they handled this kind of stress; however, the answer I got was always an overwhelming yes. Despite all the things they deal with on a daily basis, the employees at DPS remain persistent and motivated by their passion for protecting the public. Not only did I get to learn and experience so much during this program, but I also got to meet countless wonderful people. Every single person I worked with at DPS was incredibly kind and accommodating, and I can’t express in words how grateful I am to have spent this time with them.
