PORT ANGELES — Two interns at the Port Angeles Police Department this year hail from home and abroad.
Last week, Claudia Schulz, 23, who comes from Germany, began familiarizing herself with the department to prepare for projects during her three-month internship.
Matt Wolff, 28, a 2001 graduate of Port Angeles High School and current student in the Bachelor of Business Management program at Peninsula College, began his internship in September.
Schulz contacted Deputy Chief Brian Smith last year asking about internships, which she needed to fulfill an international internship required by her university’s public administration department.
Wolff, meanwhile, applied last year as a way to get his foot in the door to his preferred profession in police work.
The program has benefits for both the students and the department, said Smith.
“They, of course, are the top priority — helping them reach their goals, learn for their profession and ultimately, we’ll become references for jobs,” he said.
“But for us, it is also helpful — they get to work that we aren’t able to and can really be a benefit to the department.”
Schulz will work on the Police Department’s website to see what is most user-friendly, determining what kinds of documents could be uploaded and helping the department make its Facebook debut, she said.
Wolff has been working with the detectives division and as one of his required projects completed the Police Department’s annual report, Smith said.
“I’ve always had an interest in law enforcement, and whether I get into the local or federal level, I thought this would be good experience,” he said.
So far, the biggest challenge was just learning the details of the job, he said.
“It has been hard to take all the years of training that they have and ultimately get it down in just a couple of months,” he said.
Wolff is the third and Schulz the fourth intern for the Police Department, which began the program in 2009, Smith said.
The department is already looking for two interns for the summer months, he said.
Although the internships are unpaid, the interns receive credit in college programs, he said.
Because the program has been successful for the police, the City Attorney’s Office has also asked Smith to recruit possible interns, he said.
To apply for an internship, phone Smith at 360-912-0184 or e-mail bsmith@cityofpa.us.
_________
Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.