Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins and the Department recently welcomed a new group of interns for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Summer Enrichment Program.
Now in its third year, the Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) was created by Sheriff Tompkins in the summer of 2014 as a means of not only providing summer employment to Suffolk County teens, but also to give those interested in a career in law enforcement the opportunity to learn about the many branches of law enforcement and criminal justice through job shadowing, weekly presentations by members of law enforcement and the criminal justice community, roundtable discussions, law enforcement-related field trips, and educational tours.
Once again opening this year’s program, Sheriff Tompkins welcomed the group and spoke about the inspiration behind the creation of the program, and also about his expectations for the program’s participants.
“I am thrilled to be able to welcome you here to the third year of our Summer Enrichment Program,” Sheriff Tompkins told the group. “When we first initiated this program three years ago, we had several goals that we wanted to achieve with it. The first one was, of course, to provide Suffolk County students with employment to keep them off the streets and positively focused.
“Our second goal,” Sheriff Tompkins continued, “was to identify young people who were seriously interested in pursuing a vocation in one of the many sectors of law enforcement and the criminal justice system. The final, but equally important goal was to bring officers, attorneys, FBI agents, judges and other representatives of the law face-to-face with young people of all backgrounds so that they could have dialogue, learn from and build trust with one another, particularly in light of recent events around the country.”
Nashua Street Jail Superintendent and Special Sheriff Eugene Sumpter also presented to the students, and – as it has been in past years – for the next seven weeks, SEP members will meet with representatives from organizations that include the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations), U.S. Marshals, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Massachusetts State Police, Boston Police Department, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the Boston Fire Department, the Massachusetts Governor’s Office, the Office of the Mayor of Boston, the courts, and others.
“As each of you look around this room at your fellow SEP members, remember that you were chosen to participate from the larger pool of applicants because of your interest and because of your professionalism,” said Sheriff Tompkins. “Seven weeks may seem like a long time, but before you know it, the program will be over and you’ll be back in school. You have a wonderful opportunity to learn from some great representatives from the law enforcement and criminal justice communities about what may be your future careers. Stay focused, pay attention to what is said and don’t be afraid to ask questions of the people that you meet during your time here.”
To learn more about the Summer Enrichment Program or about any of the other programs and services offered by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, visit: www.scsdma.org.