Seated, from left, are Chambersburg Police Chief David J. Arnold, Chambersburg Mayor Pete Lagiovane and Provost Barbara Lyman. Standing, from left, are Stephanie Jirard, associate professor and chair of the criminal justice department; university President Bill Ruud, student George Aquirre, and Dr. James R. Johnson, dean of the College of Education and Human Services.

Joint program aids police department, university students

A new program between Shippensburg University's criminal justice department and the Borough of Chambersburg Police Department will provide that department with needed support and provide students with a new internship opportunity.

University President Bill Ruud and Chambersburg Mayor Pete Lagiovane announced the program today (Sept. 15) and were part of a ceremony to officially sign the internship agreement. Also at the announcement from the university were Dr. Barbara Lyman, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs; Dr. James R. Johnson, dean of the College of Education and Human Services, and Stephanie Jirard, associate professor and chair of the criminal justice department. Joining Mayor Lagiovane was Chambersburg Police Chief David J. Arnold.

Also attending was Shippensburg student George Aquirre, who will be one of the two interns who start work sometime later this semester.

"Our criminal justice department actively works with police agencies throughout the region to help them and this is another example of that support," Ruud said. "This internship supports the Chambersburg Police Department in its important role to serve the borough and provides our students with the chance to get vital hands-on experience in an ever-changing field. We look forward to supporting the department through this and other programs."

According to Lagiovane, "This program is a win-win for everyone. Shippensburg gets to give its criminal justice majors some experience with 'real life' policing while Chambersburg meanwhile gets to put more 'eyes and ears' on the street. As our borough continues to grow, and especially as our downtown attracts more people to its new restaurants, shops, and tourist attractions, this program provides an increased police presence with minimal cost to the borough taxpayer."

Lyman noted that this new opportunity is part of the university's academic priorities: partnerships and internships. "Students chosen for this program will not only have a wonderful internship experience but will also be able to participate in another of the many partnership programs the university conducts throughout the region," she said. "We are very proud of being able to serve the citizens of the Commonwealth through these types of efforts."

Johnson echoed Lyman's comments. "The diverse learning experiences offered by programs in education and human services are connected by their attention to scholarship, professionalism and personal responsibility. This important internship agreement with Chambersburg continues our commitment to applied scholarship and service to the region."

 Jirard said that "the criminal justice department has a proud tradition of rigorous academics, fidelity to the rule of law, and service to the Commonwealth. We are grateful to Mayor Lagiovane, Chief of Police Arnold and the Borough Council for giving our students a chance to serve the people of Chambersburg." 

Under the internship, the student will work up to 20 hours a week under the general supervision of an appropriate member of the police department to support the non-law enforcement public service and safety functions or duties of the department such as reporting municipal code violations related to parking, trash, animal control, junk/abandoned vehicles, and other borough operations. The intern will also perform support functions to meet the needs of the department and the community including developing and coordinating crime prevention and education programs, and giving presentations to community and school groups on safety and crime prevention.

The intern will first be screened by the criminal justice department to meet university guidelines on internship participation and then be subject to additional screenings including an interview with the police chief and a background investigation.