Sheriff, department prepare to kick off second annual summer enrichment program

The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department is gearing up for its Second Annual Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Summer Enrichment Program for the young people of Suffolk County.

The initiative, created by Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins in 2014, provides summer jobs for Suffolk County teens interested in pursuing a future career in law enforcement. The Summer Enrichment Program (S.E.P.) provides paid internships for 20 high school juniors and seniors who have expressed the desire to learn more about the inner-workings of our legal system while also acting as a means of fostering positive relationships between Suffolk County youths and uniformed officers.

Participants of the program are given insight into the world of law enforcement through job shadowing, weekly presentations by members of law enforcement, roundtable discussions, law enforcement-related field trips, and educational tours. Last year’s S.E.P. brought in representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I.), U.S. Marshals, Massachusetts State Police, Boston Police Department, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and Norfolk Superior Court, each of which provided members of the Summer Enrichment Program with the opportunity to learn about multiple agencies and network with people from their particular fields of interest.

The program runs three days a week for seven weeks, beginning on July 6th and ending the week of August 17th. Participants will earn CPR certification and a certificate of completion, as-well-as transferable job skills that they can utilize in their future careers.

Applicants of the program take part in a competitive interview process, and only mature and professional candidates with a genuine interest in law enforcement are considered for employment.

Speaking about the impetus behind the program’s inception, Sheriff Tompkins expressed his expectations for the upcoming class of interns.

“This program was conceived with several purposes in mind,” said Sheriff Tompkins. “Along with the opportunity that it presents to connect young people with positive role models to help them along in their desire to become law enforcement professionals, I also wanted to put our money where our mouths are and provide the prospect of summer employment. Too often we hear about the need for more job opportunities for our young people, particularly during the summer months when schools are closed and youth violence is typically on the rise. This program is an example of what we can do to be part of the solution.”

For more information about the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Summer Enrichment Program, contact Lieutenant Abe Ayuso at (617) 704-6652 or aayuso@scsdma.org