INTERPOL Washington’s Interns Experience U.S. Law Enforcement Training

As part of INTERPOL Washington’s - U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB) - internship program, the interns participate in field trips that help them gain valuable experience with law enforcement agencies. USNCB interns are generally U.S. citizens who want to gain insight into the growing nexus of transnational crime as well as law enforcement in the United States and around the world. Recently, interns from all USNCB divisions participated in two exciting field trips.

During the week of September 27, USNCB interns helped the U.S. Marshal Service with active shooter training drills. The Marshals play important roles in stopping criminal activity, and during this field trip the interns experienced some of the dangerous work the Marshals are trained to do.

In an abandoned office building, the interns played multiple roles to help train the Marshals, including victims, active shooters, and fellow police officers. The first drill consisted of interns running through the hallways past the Marshals, yelling about an active shooter. This was designed to teach the Marshals how to deal with frantic witnesses and large crowds when approaching an active shooter situation.

The second drill involved Marshals finding an active shooter solely based on locating the sound of gunshots. This drill also measured friendly fire potential, as the Marshals had to identify an intern dressed as a fellow police officer as an ally and then work with that person to catch the shooter.

The last drill was also the most extreme. Teams of two Marshals were required to infiltrate a dark hallway that was filled with smoke, yelling interns, and distracting noises like sirens and screaming. They then had to locate two active shooters and take them out. While these types of drills can be intense, they prepare the Marshals to assess numerous active shooter scenarios and react to whatever they might find. This field trip taught the interns a lot about the important responsibilities the U.S. Marshals have in their daily jobs. According to INTERPOL Operations and Command Center intern Rachelle Tugade, “The U.S. Marshals field trip was an unforgettable experience. I enjoyed having the opportunity to interact with the Marshals and really appreciated the valuable career advice they had to share with us."

The following week, the INTERPOL Washington interns took a trip to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) marine base in Quantico, Virginia to watch explosives drills. First, the FBI explosion instructors explained the importance of identifying different types of explosives. The instructors then set off multiple controlled explosions and explained in detail the uses and purposes of each one. The interns were then able to walk around the explosion sites and see the differences in damages between them, which taught them valuable lessons on how to analyze and identify explosion sites that resemble those dealt with by the FBI.

“It’s one thing seeing stories about explosions in TV shows and newspapers, but it’s completely different to experience them in real life,” said Public and Congressional Affairs intern Kimberly Campbell. “The field trip was really eye-opening and it was a privilege to see firsthand some of the incredible work done by FBI bomb technicians.”

The INTERPOL Washington six-month internship program offers an excellent opportunity for those interested in law enforcement to gain experience and connections, as evidenced by these two field trips. The application deadline for the July - December 2017 internship is February 15, 2017.

For more information on INTERPOL Washington’s internships, please see https://www.justice.gov/interpol-washington/internships.

A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL Washington is co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As the designated representative to INTERPOL on behalf of the Attorney General, INTERPOL Washington serves as the national point of contact for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the United States.