Haldane seniors must complete internships. One decided to shadow a police officer.
Crystal Timmons, who lives in Nelsonville and graduated last month from Haldane High School, loves clues. This fall, she will be attending Alfred State College in western New York to study forensic science.
“It would be cool to be at a crime scene, put all the pieces together and to try to figure out what actually happened,” she said.
Before graduating on June 13, Timmons and 71 other Haldane seniors had to spend three weeks at part-time internships. They choose employers in fields ranging from architecture, theater and agriculture to cabinetmaking, recreation and HVAC, the school said.
Timmons asked Haldane’s school resource officer, Deputy Anthony Tolve, about interning with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. He and Matt Jackson, the officer-in-charge of the Cold Spring Police Department, suggested she might get more out of working closer to home with the CSPD.
In late June, Timmons began working with Jackson, who had her review previous cases that involved forensics — from the time the police department took the call, to an officer’s actions at the scene, to the arrival of the sheriff’s criminal investigation team and the final report. “That helped me a lot, seeing the different aspects of police work,” Timmons says.
In addition, she found it interesting to review body-camera footage. “I liked seeing what happened at the scene,” including at traffic stops, she says.
But she also learned that a lot of police work takes place behind a desk. Jackson assigned Timmons to review files to find information he needed to submit to the Sheriff’s Office. “There were a lot of files,” Jackson says.
Jackson wasn’t working the day Timmons tackled his stack. When he returned, he couldn’t believe she had finished. “I was like, ‘This is the greatest thing ever!’ ” he recalled. “She even worked on the day of the prom.”
Timmons also worked with Cold Spring Mayor Kathleen Foley, learning how policing fits into village governance, including the process of developing and passing local laws.
“I asked Crystal to review the vehicle and traffic code to identify changes that might be needed to accommodate intersection upgrades proposed by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council,” Foley said. “Her work was thorough and will be incorporated into my proposal to the Village Board.”
In addition, Timmons assisted Cathy Costello, the clerk for the Cold Spring Justice Court. “She was a quick learner,” Costello said. “I couldn’t believe how quickly she got the work done.”
Jackson hopes the CSPD can participate in the program again. “It was definitely helpful for me; I hope it helped Crystal figure out her career path,” he said.
Timmons said the experience was fun, but added, with a laugh: “I think I’d like to work in the field rather than in an office!”
Fabulous. Go Crystal!