Kingsport Reporter

A new practicum opened the door for Criminal Justice students at Northeast State Community College to participate as interns with the Johnson City Police Department this semester.

A class of 20 Northeast State Criminal Justice students started a practicum internship this semester with the Johnson City Police Department. The practicum went live for the first time this spring. Stanton worked with JCPD officers to create this first such internship opportunity for Criminal Justice students at Northeast State.

“We want to give students the most real world robust educational experience they can get,” said Eric Stanton, assistant professor and coordinator of the Criminal Justice program at Northeast State. “They want a more educated individual; a smart and a responsive person to the situation.”

The students understand the internship requires a professional commitment of time and responsibility. Students are required to show up on time, dress appropriate and display professional conduct.

“I’ve always had a passion for law enforcement,” said Alisha Murrietta, now in her third semester at Northeast State. “One of our goals is that we are a good example.”

As interns, they submit their time as work hours with the department. Students turn in a logbook and get evaluated by the JCPD for the job performance. As students, they also file written reports of their experiences and submit those reports for course credit.

“Professor Stanton told us we will learn more in a 12-hour ride along than you will in a class,” said Xavier King, a Criminal Justice major in his second year at Northeast State.

Stanton said the program’s second goal aims to address a critical shortage of individuals pursuing law enforcement as a career.  Northeast State and the Johnson City Police Department formed a working relationship approximately five years ago to create a pipeline for potential law enforcement professionals. Stanton credited Johnson City Police Captain Kevin Peters as instrumental in forming the partnership with the College.

The internship continues over the course of one semester. Each student must complete 40 hours of work with the department to receive credit. The students will be working with various offices within the department to understand the scope of policing.

“We had a chance to do a ride along, and I had a really good experience with that,” said King. “The flexibility is really great; you can schedule your ride along time or time in the criminal investigation division as you need.”

The “ride along” King referred to gives students the opportunity to ride with police patrol officers on a 12-hours shift. The experience gives students a general understanding of how police interact with the community.

Students get the opportunity to spend times in a variety of operations including patrolling, criminal investigations, and the police role in the court systems.  They were excited on how the department encouraged their curiosity about duties and operations. Students said learning the nature of effective community policing meant building relationships with people.

“They advise us to ask questions and experience multiple aspects of policing,” said Murrietta. “If you want to do something, explore that opportunities as they become available.”

Ethan Eddy credited his high school teachers with piquing his interest in criminal justice classes. Once enrolled at Northeast State, he was matched with Stanton as his advisor.

“He presses upon you to treat everyone equally, and no one is better than anyone,” said Eddy.

Stanton said the Criminal Justice program focused the role of diversity and inclusion to reflect a department’s service to society and the citizens it served.  Instructors also invited professionals from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) into the classroom to help students understand individuals suffering from mental health crises.

Stanton noted how the number of mental health facilities serving citizens had dwindled over the years. Now, when someone is suffering from mental health issue law enforcement frequently get called to help.

“For citizens to buy in, you need to be reflective of the communities you are serving,” said Stanton. “We work with NAMI because there is such a huge need for those services.”

Northeast State offers the associate of science (A.S.) and associate of applied science (A.A.S.) degrees to Criminal Justice majors.  The A.A.S. degree includes courses in sociology, psychology, and mental health issues in criminology. The program also draws on the expertise of an advisory committee composed of police training officers, chiefs of police, and court clerks giving their input to building good officers.

“Professor Stanton has always made sure we know it is public servitude to be about the public,” said Murrietta. “That’s where we come into play, to make the future better.”

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