Criminal Justice – CA Work Experience Program

Day 4: Extensive Research

Today, we spent more time looking at Senate Bill 300, increasing our knowledge of state law, and learning about the intrinsic nature of rulemaking. I finished my research on the constitutionality of SBM monitoring, so I needed to take a step back, go back to Senate Bill 300, and come up with some more things to look at and research. Instead, I came up with more questions:

The first: How do criminal defendants not show up to court?

I was stunned that Senate Bill 300 touched on a problem I thought would have been fixed throughout the centuries of the North Carolina legislature. This loophole made me realize that Congress has to think about and set up each and every scenario possible for each law they make. Consequently, being in Congress is stressful and tiring, as members have to deal with individualized cases on a day-to-day basis. No one can think of everything, which is made apparent by the many loopholes in the system.

The second: How do early warning systems (a compilation of complaints, discharging of their firearm, vehicle collisions, and use of force against a police officer) limit the misconduct of police officers?

Although there is some research on the usage of early warning systems, no extensive and expansive research has been conducted. In one study, complaints against police officers went down from 2 per year to 1.5 per year. A 25% decrease in complaints is a good indicator of the success of the program, but a decrease in complaints does not show the complete picture. Long-term research needs to be conducted before my question can be answered.

The third and final question: How are the qualifications for becoming a police officer differ throughout the state of North Carolina?

All officers have to go through BLET (Basic Law Enforcement Training) but some are subject to mental health tests and other types of tests to ensure the safety of citizens, while other officers are not. This difference is key when determining the likelihood of an officer using deadly force when it was not required. These tests are administered by municipalities, but they all have different qualifications, making it hard for the state to determine who is a well-trained police officer and who is a civilian with no training carrying a badge.

-Travis

Day 1 Continued

Today, we also learned the nuances of the legal system, including some Latin terms, legal definitions, and some broad terms. Here is a list:

Res judicata (claim preclusion): A Latin term for ‘a matter decided,’ which means that a criminal or civil court case can not have an appeal because that specific type of case has already been dealt with by the courts. Today, Professor Markham stated that over 700 sex offenders have appealed to the courts about the use of satellites to monitor them. A judge will not want to hear all the cases, and will generally give a ruling that gives a ruling to all of them.

Recidivist: Someone that has committed more than one crime. In North Carolina, along with many other states, the more crimes you commit, the longer the prison sentence is. For simplicity, North Carolina has a table that lists the punishment for each level of crime (low-level misdemeanors to 1st-degree murder) and the severity of the sentence for each crime you commit.

Legislative Compromise: A compromise between members of Congress to pass legislation. For example, Senate Bill 300’s main focus is to reform the policing system in North Carolina and make people feel safer. However, the bill also explains that rioters should get harsher punishments, which has nothing to do with the overall focus of the bill. Professor Markham explained that members of the legislator will put random things into a bill to make it more acceptable for other members of Congress.

-Travis

Day 8 – My Last Day

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.

My visitor badge at Community Corrections.

Day 7 – The State Crime Lab and More!

Today I was able to experience a variety of things. This morning, I went on a tour of the State Crime Lab, where we saw various laboratories within the building and learned about the multi-step process involved in solving different cases. The tour of the lab was probably one of my favorite things I’ve gotten to do thus far in the program!

After the tour, Mr. Jerry Higgins was kind enough to drive me by a few of the local correctional facilities- such as the North Carolina Correctional Facility for Women and the Wake Correctional Center- so that I could see some of those institutions and the differences between high and low custody correctional centers.

Sign outside the NC Correctional Institution for Women.

Sign outside the Wake Correctional Center.

Then, after lunch, I tagged along with a group that was tasked with filming an excerpt on the State Capitol Police’s Segway system. They filmed several shots of an officer riding the Segway around the government complex, as well as some footage of the officer talking to or offering directions to some citizens.

Overall, today was a lot of fun and- although I regret that the Work Experience Program is coming to an end- I look forward to what my last day will bring tomorrow.

Day 6 – Nuclear Drill

Today, I sat in on a nuclear drill at the Emergency Management building. Federal law requires that every nuclear power plant goes through a nuclear emergency drill once every other year. Today was the Catawba plant’s drill. The Catawba plant is operated by Duke Energy and is located in South Carolina under Charlotte. Although the plant itself is out of state, several North Carolina counties lie within the “danger zone”, meaning that they are close enough to the plant that they would be affected by radiation if the plant were to experience any issues.

Outside of the Emergency Management building.

During the drill, each individual has a certain list of things they must accomplish and demonstrate that they can do successfully. For example, some are tasked with drafting press releases, setting up shelters, decontamination, or monitoring a hotline for rumor control. It was very interesting to see how many different people with different roles all come together to ensure public safety during events like this. There was also a line set up on the conference phone that the departments in South Carolina and North Carolina tuned in to in order to make sure that everyone was on the same page. This communication is critical to public safety and everything running smoothly because it guarantees that both states are releasing the same information, thus preventing public panic or confusion.

As the level of emergency classification intensified, so did the importance of maintaining this communication. Today’s drill reiterated the significance of effective communication, which is a lesson that has been very prominent the last six days and one which I’m certain will stick with me long after the commencement of my work experience program.

Day 5 – State Capitol Police

During my Work Experience Program, the State Capitol Police have been kind enough to let me park in their lot since it’s right across the street from the building I’m in. In addition, there is always a State Capitol Police at the entrance of the building that greets me; thus, the State Capitol Police’s presence has definitely been significant in my daily routine these last five days. However, I hadn’t really worked closely with them until today. As I said, there is always an officer stationed at the entrance of the building. Officer Gibson always welcomes me with a “Good morning!” and a smile as I enter, but this morning I was finally able to sit down with him and learn more about his work. He told me about his background, which was expansive, diverse, and extremely interesting. Officer Gibson had previously worked in jobs such as juvenile detective and public relations officer for the Wilson Police Department, and he told me fascinating (as well as tragic) stories from some of the jobs he worked. After talking to him, I walked over to the Dobbs Building- which is right next to the building that I’m normally in- and talked to the officer stationed at the entrance there: Officer Deloatch. Officer Deloatch also told me about her background, as well as her childhood and how she came to be in the career she is in today. Both officers were incredibly generous in their openness and willingness to trust me with stories from both their careers and things that they have overcome in their personal lives. I’m very grateful for the time I was able to spend with them today because I learned a lot of valuable advice from them.

After lunch, I went down to the State Capitol Police building to meet with Chief Allen before heading over with the officers to the pavilion in front of the Museum of Natural Sciences, where a people’s march was beginning at 2:30pm. During these protests, the police are on-site to make sure that the protest remains safe and everything is kept under control. It was interesting to see how the officers went about this and the different things they kept an eye out for. They were never rude or aggressive to the protesters, but rather they were here to keep them and everyone else safe as they exercised their right to protest. As they stopped traffic to help the protestors across the street to the legislative building, I watched as the officers greeted the protestors. The y would shake hands, call out an “always nice to see you!”, and the protestors would thank them for being there.

These days, there’s a lot of controversy over law enforcement officers in our society. Today was a reminder that police officers are people, too. They have feelings and deal with hardships just as much as anyone else does. And, like anyone else, they’re just trying to do their job to the best of their abilities. My time with the State Capitol Police today prompted me to keep in mind that everyone has a story, and that one should not rely on stereotypes or prejudice to form judgement on an individual.

Poor People’s Campaign protesters gathered outside the museum.

Protesters crossing the street to rally in the legislative building.

Day 4 – Assignments and Meetings!

As I walked in at 9am this morning, as per usual, there was already lots of activity around the office. It’s National Donut Day today, so there were doughnuts that were brought it (Krispy Kreme!), which was great for obvious reasons. Donuts aside, there were developments on an incident that occurred on April 3rd and involved the Raleigh Police Department, and Ms. Walker gave me an assignment to research and print out different articles about the incident (that were published within the last week or so to maintain relevance). This was to make sure that the department remains informed about what different sources are saying about the incident, and what type of message is being conveyed to the public through the media.

After that, we headed over to the Green Square to attend a meeting. The Green Square is an area in downtown Raleigh where the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is located. The meeting was held in a large conference room (where the celebration of National Donut Day continued as there were donuts being offered there, as well) with a wide window that provided a beautiful view of downtown. The meeting that we attended was a meeting between the head communications officers from several different state departments to discuss topics that involved each division.

It was incredibly interesting once again to see how all of the departments, which seem so disparate, actually share many interests and are constantly working together to succeed. This meeting, and the collaboration shown between every division, truly showcased the significance of professional connections and relationships.

I didn’t have time to take a photo at the Green Square since we were heading to a meeting, but here’s a photo of a section of the Green Square from https://www.raleighnc.gov/home/news/content/CorNews/Articles/SRSSustainabilityWalkingTour.html.

Day 3 – Learning Lots of New Things!

Today I was able to experience a lot of different positions within the department. I first sat with Ms. Laura Nozedar in her office, where she showed me the techniques she uses to audit media activity in relation to public safety. For example, Ms. Nozedar uses a program called Cision that allows her to track certain keywords (such as employee names) across the internet to keep an eye on issues that pertain to the department and to keep everyone updated on different media mentions.

Ms. Nozedar showing me how she uses Cision.

Next, I sat in with Mr. Wilbert Darcus. Mr. Darcus is in charge of the offender family hotline, which means that he answers calls from the families of offenders (either in prison or on parole) and answers any inquiries they may have. I was able to listen into several of his calls, which was very educational because I got to see how he handled a variety of situations. For example, one of the calls was from a woman who was inquiring about her boyfriend’s probation regulations. Mr. Darcus also had several resources that he used to help offender families, such as the offender database. When someone would call asking about a specific offender, they would give Mr. Darcus that offender’s seven digit number and he was able to look them up in the offender database. I also learned that Mr. Darcus has a diverse background, ranging from service in the US Navy to work in the US Postal Service. Because of his multifarious experiences, Mr. Darcus had many interesting stories to tell, as well as a plethora of varied paraphernalia decorating his office.

Mr. Darcus’ large patch collection on his office wall.

Then, I visited Mrs. Claire Rice, who explained the interworkings of the department’s various publications. The specific publication that I watched her work on was their bi-weekly digest, which is a collection of information and reports on significant events that are sent out to all the employees every other week. Mrs. Rice walked me through the process of how she designs and creates the bi-weekly digest using different software such as Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Abode Illustrator.

Mrs. Rice demonstrating how she assembles the bi-weekly digest in Adobe InDesign.

It was very interesting to learn about Mrs. Rice’s creative process, as well as observe the amount of collaboration that goes into the publications. One of the most striking things to me thus far in the program is the diversity of employee skill sets within the department. There are many different people within one department, and- despite their different backgrounds- they’re all constantly working together and bouncing ideas off of each other. Observing these interactions throughout my first three days at the NCDPS has taught me a very important lesson: collaboration and teamwork is vital to success.

Day 2 – Emergency Management and UNC-TV

On day 2, we immediately headed to the Emergency Managment building due to flash flooding and mudslide crises in western North Carolina. Specifically, there was an issue with Lake Tahoma’s dam in McDowell County where the amount of rainfall threatened the dam’s stability. It has now been deemed safe, but at the time citizens in this area were being evacuated and told to seek higher ground. I listened in to many phone calls between the various internal state departments as they discussed how to best approach the situation. Additionally, I got to listen in on phone calls to media outlets where my host- Mrs. Walker- was arranging for different media outlets to disseminate important emergency information and safety messages. I also learned about the techniques used in social media management and how the department effectively disseminates information through their various social media, using tools such as tweetdeck.com or hootsuite.com that allow them to track tags as well as post across different social media.

After seeing how Emergency Management operates in the morning, I was taken to the UNC-TV studio after lunch for the filming of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) regarding flood safety. Flood safety, as well as the mudslides and dam issues in western NC, is a prominent issue in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety right now due to tropical storm Alberto, which has caused many problems that the DPS must attend to. The PSA was made to alert people of the dangers of flooding and dissuade them from driving or walking in flooded areas. After filming was finished, I was able to tour the UNC-TV studio, which was incredibly interesting. They had large studios with high-tech cameras and bright studio lights, as well as various editing suites and rooms filled with countless TV screens and control panels equipped with a million different colorful buttons. It was very interesting to see the making of safety broadcasts and to get a behind the scenes look of such a popular broadcasting station such UNC-TV

The last stop of the day was the Highway Patrol training academy, where I toured the academy’s photographer’s studio. There, I was able to get a glimpse inside what kind of atmosphere these recruit’s train and live in; furthermore, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is also located within the campus, so I was able to see that, as well.

Sign outside of the Highway Patrol training academy.

Overall, my second day with the NCDPS was very exciting and I was able to see many different aspects of many different careers within and in relation to the department.

Day 1 – First Day with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety

For my Work Experience Program, I’m working with Ms. Pamela Walker, the Director of Communications at the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS). The NCDPS is located in downtown Raleigh in the government mall. It’s located in the Archdale building, which is the tallest building with 14 floors.

For my first day, I was introduced to many employees in the building. Before I began my Work Experience Program, I was quite nervous about what the people there would think about me, and I was worried about possibly being a nuisance by being in the way of their work. However, when I arrived, I soon felt my worries fade away. Everyone is incredibly kind, and they all made me feel welcome. I was able to sit in on a staff meeting first thing in the morning where the employees introduced themselves and gave a brief summary of their position. I learned that there are a lot of different specialists that all work together in order to successfully run the department- such as experts in public records, adult or juvenile correction, graphic design, law enforcement, as well as troopers and sergeants. After that, I sat in on a meeting to discuss certain prison policies. I also sat in on several of Ms. Pamela’s calls, which dealt with issues such as the flooding brought on by tropical storm Alberto as well as discussions with reporters. At the end of the day, I was able to meet with the secretary, Secretary Hooks. Just like the rest of the staff, he was incredibly welcoming and helpful. In addition, his office is on the top floor, meaning he has a wonderful view of downtown Raleigh!

View from the 14th floor of the Archdale building.

Although it’s only been one day, I’ve already gleaned invaluable information from my Work Experience Program. The experiences I’ve been exposed to so far have opened my eyes to the various situations that the NCDPS has to deal with on a daily basis. I’m incredibly lucky to be spending eight days learning from such welcoming and intelligent people, and I’m excited for what day two may bring.