ii-39CollegeUniversityInternProgram

Revisions or additions are highlighted 1 (07/21/ 2023) ST. PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER Subject: COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY STUDENT INTERN PROGRAM Index as: Accredited College or University College Intern Program Intern Program, College Assignment Faculty Advisor University Intern Program Assignment Supervisor Intern Accreditation Standards: Cross Reference : City of St. Petersburg Administrat ive Policy 061300, Student Interns Replaces : II-39, College/University Student Intern Program (August 28, 2017 ) This Order establishes guidelines for selecting, processing, assigning and supervising unpaid college or university students who, as part of their course work, carry out assignments as interns at the St. Petersburg Police Department. It consists of the following sections: I. Purpose II. Policy III. Definitions IV. Application and Assignment Process V. Assignments VI. Out-processing I. PURPOSE A. Effective student intern programs benefit police agencies, college/university criminal justice programs, individual intern participants and communities at large. B. Interns gain practical knowledge of law enforcement, have an opportunity to preview a law enforcement career, and obtain college/university credit. C. The Department benefits through the opportunity to meet potential recruits and through the relationships developed with students and educational institutions. The resulting rapport between students and police personnel creates an understanding of law enforcement and the rule of law that is transmitted to college campuses and surrounding communities. II. POLICY A. The Department offers a limited number of unpaid, one -semester internships to eligible college and university students. B. The Training Division determines the number of internships available each semester, based on the availability of assignments at the time the requests are received. Local institutions are given preference if the number of requests exce eds the number of available internship positions. C. Interns must adhere to the directives, rules and regulations of the Department and the City. DATE OF ISSUE EFFECTIVE DATE NUMBER August 2017 Immediately II-39 Distribution: All Employees General Order II -39 Revisions or additions are highlighted 2 (07/21/2023 ) D. The unpaid internship is an educational experience undertaken at the request of the student for the benefit of the student’s personal education. Unpaid interns are not covered by the City of St. Petersburg workers’ compensation coverage and are responsible for obtaining for themselves whatever health or accident insurance they deem necessary. III. DEFINITION S A. Accredited College or University – A college or university recognized by one of the national and/or regional accrediting agencies for higher education: 1. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 2. Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools 3. Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools 4. New England association of Schools and Colleges 5. North Central Association of Colleges and Schools 6. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities 7. Western Association of Schools and Colleges B. Area – A section, unit or division of the Department. C. Assignment – An experience in one area of the Department. D. Assignment Supervisor – A sergeant, lieutenant or other supervisor who oversees and evaluates the intern’s performance during an assignment. E. Faculty Advisor – A college or university faculty member who advises student interns and serves as the college’s or university’s liaiso n with the Department. F. Intern – A college or university student, who, without compensation, shadows, observes and assists employees in one or more areas of the Department, in exchange for gaining practical knowledge and college/university credit. IV. APPLICATION AND ASSIGNMENT PROCESS A. An applicant of the intern program must: 1. Be at least eighteen ( 18) years old. 2. Be a student in good standing at an accredited college or university. 3. Receive academic credit from the college or university for the internship. 4. Submit application materials to the Training Division no later than six (6) weeks before the desired start of the internship. 5. Submit a referral from a faculty advisor or program director at the college or university. General Order II -39 Revisions or additions are highlighted 3 (07/21/2023 ) B. The Training Division arranges for the student’s background check, fingerprinting and polygraph examination. Internship applicants must pass the same screening process applied to applicants for Administrative, Road Patrol or Chaplain volunteer positions in the Departme nt. 1. The Training Division forwards the student’s file, including the application, referral and background/polygraph results to the applicable Assistant Chief for approval/d enial . 2. The Training Division notifies the applicant of the approval/denial . C. The Training Division determines the intern’s assignment, sets the internship schedule, conducts an orientation, and arranges for the intern’s identification badge and swipe card. D. The intern or faculty advisor furnishes to the Training Di vision any time sheets or evaluation forms that the Department is required to complete and return to the college or university. E. The intern’s file is housed permanently in the Fiscal Services Division. V. ASSIGNMENTS A. Successful applicants complete one or more assignments in the Department upon approval by the appropriate assignment supervisor(s). B. Each intern is supervised and evaluated on each assignment by the assignment supervisor. The supervisor makes the intern’s daily assignments, signs the time shee t and evaluates the intern’s performance. C. The Training Division receives and resolves any concerns related to interns. VI. OUT -PROCESSING A. At the close of the internship: 1. The intern’s assignment supervisor completes the provided evaluation form and sends it to the