North Central College student Samuel Carius is getting hands-on experience for a future career in law enforcement.
Carius, a senior sociology: criminal justice major from Naperville, was selected for an internship with the Naperville Police Department that began in August and will continue through December. He plans to pursue a career in law enforcement.
“We get to see every aspect of law enforcement—the good and the challenging,” he says. “It helps me determine what things I find interesting for the future.”
Naperville Police Department interns work alongside professionals in a variety of law-enforcement settings. They observe patrols, investigations, crime scenes, traffic, dispatch and other areas. Officers train with Carius and the other interns in areas such as firearms, defensive tactics and physical fitness. Carius says he especially enjoys working with the K-9 unit.
“We help train them for drug sniffs and get them used to gunfire,” he says. “This is an experience of a lifetime.”
Naperville Police Commander Tom Kammerer says it’s crucial to expose law enforcement hopefuls to the realities of the field.
“We try to educate interns on what the job of a police officer is really about,” he says. “If they think a career in law enforcement is in their future, they should be going into it with their eyes wide open. The NPD internship does just that.”
Carius was among five students chosen for the internship through a rigorous application process, which included recommendations, a background process and interview. According to Kammerer, the process determines the applicant’s confidence, integrity and reliability. Carius, who works as a student officer for North Central College’s Campus Safety, was encouraged by Campus Safety Director Jared Bogan to apply for the internship.
“I was so interested that I filled out the application right away,” says Carius, who interviewed for the position within a week and was selected shortly after.
The most valuable aspect of the internship, says Kammerer, is the connections students establish within the Naperville Police Department and beyond.
“It puts them in contact on a daily basis with those doing the job—that’s priceless,” says Kammerer. “Among the interns, it creates a cohort environment. These students form friendships and professional relationships that will last the rest of their lives.”
Carius is a graduate of Waubonsie Valley High School.
Editor’s Note: Story submitted by North Central College was written by Troy Kelleher, a junior journalism major at the college located in the heart of Naperville.
