Intern Spotlight: Morgan Sawgle
Wayne State University criminal justice alumna Morgan Sawgle shares insights from her internship with the Detroit Police Department, an experience she credits with broadening her understanding of police work and shaping her career path. During the internship, Sawgle gained firsthand exposure to various facets of law enforcement, including patrol operations, detective work, the execution of high-risk search warrants and more
My time with DPD helped to expand my idea and thought of what police work is. The Detroit Police Department has 12 different precincts, alongside a specialized bureau that focuses on concentrations such as Gang Intel and Sex Crimes. Interns also spent a week at the Detroit Police Training Center and visited the morgue to see how autopsies are carried out. The time spent at the morgue was beneficial because in police work there are often interactions with death and it allowed me to make sure it was something I could handle.
There was no typical day as a DPD intern, as there is no typical day in police work. I could end up watching the Special Response Team bring out their bearcat vehicle and conduct a high-risk search warrant, looking through the house with the detectives after it was clear, or end up following an active sex crimes case as it was unfolding. One particular morning I recall listening to a call come in and I was actually able to go with the detectives and watch how they conducted their investigations, from pulling and saving video footage at a motel to checking potential addresses of the suspect.
This internship was a great opportunity for me as it introduced me to my employer. It gave me the opportunity to make connections with training staff, officers and detectives. It is a great feeling when I run into the detectives I met during the internship since now we both wear the same badge. I owe the opportunity to have these experiences to the Wayne State criminal justice department. They are always keeping students up to date on what kind of internships and experiences are out there and available to us.