by Brooke Hall
Four graduates of the IU Columbus Criminal Justice program, all with different roles at nearby agencies, returned to campus to share their experiences working in law enforcement and answer students’ questions.
Scott Desmond, director of the Criminal Justice program, organized the Nov. 16 event because of the strong interest in law enforcement among students. Speakers included:
- Alec McCullough, Columbus Police Department
- John “JD” Hale, Franklin Police Department
- Dustin Newland, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office
- Dylan Prather, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office
Students asked about training, job searches, work environment, morale, gender diversity, rewards and challenges of the job, as well as questions about the day-to-day of police work, such as their typical shift schedules.
Hale, Newland and Prather spoke highly of the IU Cadet Program and encouraged students to apply, saying it helped them quickly get jobs after graduation. They said employers appreciated that they’d already completed police academy training before getting hired.
The alums noted having big challenges (such as witnessing fatal accidents and seeing young people without parental support) but also big rewards (saving lives, being part of the community, and making a difference, especially when working with troubled youth).
“We see people at their best and worst,” Hale noted. “And our job is going to be different every day.”
Prather said he loves working third shift as a K-9 handler but cautioned the students to remember to keep a good work-life balance.
Newland emphasized the importance of being open-minded and trying to learn as much as you can. His interest in criminal justice began with the local C4 program in high school, and he’s continuing to learn more all the time. In fact, Newland just completed a weeklong crisis training program related to mental health.
Alec McCullough encouraged students to apply to several positions, noting that it’s a long hiring process, and they may not get their top choice right away. He also told students they’d have many options for specialization, such as patrol, crisis de-escalation, negotiator, drug recognition expert, water rescue, K-9, bicycle team, SWAT, etc. “It’s a really good job,” he concluded.
When looking ahead to how their jobs may change in the next five years, they talked about technology improvements, more and better focus on mental health, and the possibility of marijuana legalization.
Overall, they emphasized the importance of continuing education and further training to keep up with the many changes.
Hale said he wouldn’t sugarcoat the difficult parts about being an officer, but he added, “I believe most of us got into this profession because we want to help people. And we get to save lives! How many people can say that?”