Exploring Internship Opportunities with the Indiana State Police
The Indiana State Police (ISP) Internship Program offers observational and experiential learning environments designed for college students. These programs cater to students pursuing careers in various fields, including law enforcement, tactical strength and conditioning, and forensic science. By providing on-the-job experience and close interaction with State Troopers and professionals, ISP internships offer invaluable insights into the realities of these professions.
Internship Programs Offered
The Indiana State Police offer several distinct internship programs:
- Law Enforcement Internship Program: This program provides interns with an understanding of the daily operational demands of an Indiana State Police Trooper from both an administrative and field enforcement perspective. The majority of the internship involves ride-alongs with various members of the ISP.
- Tactical Strength and Conditioning Internship Program: Designed for college students pursuing a career in Tactical Strength and Conditioning, this program allows interns to work with academy recruits, department specialty teams (SWAT, SCUBA, EOD etc.), current Troopers, and civilian staff members.
- Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) Internship Program: This program is tailored for college students pursuing a career in forensic science. Interns gain experience working closely with CSIs in all realms of investigations.
- Biology and Chemistry Internship: The Indiana State Police Forensic Laboratory also offers internships in Biology and Chemistry.
Scheduling and Time Commitment
The Indiana State Police Internship Program offers flexible scheduling options to accommodate students' academic commitments. The program offers two options for Internship Scheduling:
- Option 1: 16 weeks, 10 hours per week (160 total hours)
- Option 2: 8 weeks, 20 hours per week (160 total hours)
These are minimum hourly requirements. The Indiana State Police will work with each intern to meet requirements dictated by each student’s college or university; however, ISP can only accommodate students up to 240 hours for the semester. Interns will coordinate their schedule with the district assigned. Police work is a 24/7 job and may require evenings and weekend work. Weather and criminal incidents may also affect the schedule. Interns must be flexible to allow for changes.
Safety and Security Measures
Law enforcement is an inherently dangerous profession. The Indiana State Police will take every possible precaution to ensure the safety of every intern. No matter how well trained or prepared one is, circumstances arise where danger must be dealt with. Every intern must sign a waiver of liability from the Indiana State Police. The intern is not “employed” by the Indiana State Police in any fashion. Interns are not covered by the Indiana State Police insurance plan. The Indiana State Police will not be liable for the actions of the intern acting outside the scope of the responsibilities defined or beyond the direction of the responsible Trooper they are assigned to. Interns must also sign a Non-Disclosure Form from the Indiana State Police. Interns may be exposed to confidential information and must not distribute said information. Interns may be deposed for testimony in court reference events that were witnessed. Interns will have no law enforcement authority. Interns will not be armed.
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Voices from the Field: Intern Experiences
The experiences of past interns highlight the value and impact of the ISP Internship Program.
Grace: "When I heard I got the job, my sister actually started making jokes that I was going to be the coffee girl. You know you’re going to get doughnuts and you’re going to get coffee. And I walked in going, OK, I’ll scan some papers and I’ll do some small tasks. That is the absolute opposite of what I’ve actually done. I’m getting to help on real cases, I’m doing real investigative work in conjunction with the special agents, the task force officers, the professional staff. And it’s been such an amazing opportunity to see the results of my efforts."
Joshua: "So, I’ve been working white-collar for this internship and it really applies to what I’ve been doing at school studying business. I’ve been working with bank statements, working with forensic accountants, and doing a lot of things actually that apply to my major and I’ve really been able to use what I learned at school and apply it here."
Laura: "I actually more specifically on the cyber squad usually work with our CART team, which is our Computer Analysis Response Team. And they’re our digital forensic examiners for the office. So anytime there is a computer or tablet or phone involved in an investigation, CART goes out on the search warrants and seizes it and then they are trained in processing the evidence so that the case agents can review it and we can maintain a good chain of custody on it. And something that I think is really interesting about them is they work on all different types of investigations. So, I’ve worked gang investigations, I’ve worked violent crimes against children, I’ve worked counter terrorism."
Ashley: "My dad’s actually an FBI agent and he’s been an FBI agent my whole life. So I thought that I knew what the Bureau was, and I had a pretty good idea more than most of the interns. But what I did not expect was just how much of a family it feels like. Everyone is super welcoming and it’s not like any other workplace I’ve ever been in where you come in for your shift and then when you’re done, you’re done. It’s like the relationships in the Bureau are truly something to be marveled."
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Myisha: "The people here are amazing, you see them out in the field and you’re kind of like they are so strict and they are kind of intimidating, but once you get to know them they are actually really nice people. Because of the internship, I’ve learned so much. The FBI is kind of like this huge entity that is so mysterious, but no one really knows what goes on behind closed doors."
Laura: "I think the most fulfilling experience I’ve had is watching cases go from the very beginning to the very end. I had a couple search warrants that I was able to go on my first summer here that this summer I’ve been able to go to the sentencings and see the cases all the way through."
Joshua: "This experience has totally changed my perspective of what I saw my future as, I was dead set pre-med going into school and now that I’ve seen that there are other careers out there other than what I initially thought I wanted to do, especially those something that can fit with my biology degree within the Bureau, my mind is totally open to those other options so I can take the skills I’ve developed here, the methodical research skills and I can apply them to my education and then I can turn right back around and apply those educational skills that I’ve developed in school and put them towards working for the Bureau."
Grace: "The FBI has truly become my summer home and every single summer I love coming back here. You know I never come to work, like, oh man, I have to go to somewhere to work all summer. I get excited to come back and I miss the people here when I’m away. So, if someone is looking at the FBI internship and is unsure, I say go for it."
Laura: "I would tell anyone who is interested in applying to this internship to just go ahead and apply regardless of what you think you want to do. I think no matter what you think your future career goal is, the FBI has a place for you if you want one. And that’s definitely something I learned coming in as a STEM major, not related to criminal justice at all."
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Application Requirements
Please be sure to submit your 500-word essay as an attachment to your application.
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