ASU Police Officer Reflective Report

This spring I was enrolled in the course entitled Practicum I. This program allowed students to observe and document how working professionals perform their job responsibilities. After speaking with Lieutenant Diamond, I decided to intern with the Albany State University Police Department. While working closely with the officers, I was assigned to different departments on campus. This included the main office, dispatch, and security detail.
After signing my contract with Lieutenant Diamond I first began working in the main office with Ms. Rhonda Knighton. While working under Ms. Knighton, I was taught how to interact with the students, as well as faculty when providing different services. A few examples of the services that the ASU Police Department offer includes but is not limited to parking decals, forms to appeal a ticket, visitors parking, and temporary parking. While I was attentive to Ms. Knighton, I also make sure to take a close look at how all the employees of the ASU Police Department interact with the public and vice versa.

Another department that I worked in was dispatch.

While working closely with dispatch officers I was taught the importance of documentation. While learning this I was taught how to properly document incidents, and how to properly record the movements of officers. I was also assigned to ride with officers who were on duty. These officers were extremely willing to show me their daily responsibilities, as well as explain the rules and regulations that officers follow daily. These officers also explained the in-depth knowledge of arrest procedures, how to read radars and estimate the speed of the vehicle. Some officers even explain the different conflict resolution skills they used when encountering difficult students. Other officers explained what the Albany State University Police Department Mission Statement was and what it means to

them.
Everyone working in this department is extremely friendly and more than willing to work with students who may come across some problems. While the staff may seem friendly, they do take their oath to protect and service very seriously. While discussing some of the tasks as well as issues that officers may encounter, Lieutenant Diamond made sure to reiterate the importance of confidentiality. While my time here has been short, I have learned different task as well as seen how psychology can be used in this career.
Overall, my experience with the ASU Police Department was extremely exciting. I particularly liked how each officer that I encountered was more than willing to explain their duties and responsibilities to me. I can see how officers incorporate psychology into their work. After working closely with the department, I can see how the different fields of psychology are being incorporated into the workplace. My intern covers two different fields of psychology. The first field is Psychologists in Public Service, which is then divided into separate categories. The category that best explains the work of the police is called Police and Public Safety. The next field used is called American Psychology-Law Society, which includes forensic psychology, which police officers use to perform their jobs.