Lindsey Fairbank, Junior
Criminal Process
When Lindsey Fairbank decided what she wanted to study in college, it wasn’t at the suggestion of a school advisor or even a parent. A favorite television show inspired her.
“In high school, I watched a lot of Criminal Minds, and I wanted to do the kind of law enforcement work they were doing. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. An office job wasn’t for me.”
Lindsey, a junior from Newington, Conn., studying criminal justice, applies her coursework to her internship with the Norwich Police Department.
“I use what I’ve learned in my Law and Society class because it deals with the processing of criminals – when to write a ticket, when to bring someone in for booking, how much a bond costs.”
“In my internship, I am assigned to ride-along or dispatch. Ride-alongs are my favorite. I learn something new every time. It’s good field experience.”
Lindsey sees a variety situations up close and personal.
“The only time I am told to stay in the car on a ride-along is when it’s really serious. Otherwise, the officers tell me I can come out to observe a situation. I’ve seen domestic cases, speeding, kids acting up, people who are drunk or on the side of the road. Sometimes people ask who I am, and I get introduced.”
She also has first-hand experience in dispatch.
“On my first day in dispatch, one of the guys put me on the phones for the 911 calls. I was so scared, I didn’t know what to do. But you get to see what they do every day and how they deal with situations. It’s interesting.”
A member of Mitchell’s varsity women’s soccer and lacrosse teams, Lindsey equates her experience with being on a sports team to working as a police officer.
“Teamwork is a big thing for police officers. Officers need backup. You work as a team to get everything in check. There could be three to four officers on one call, and you work together to figure out the situation. It can be similar to playing on a sports team.”
After graduation next year, Lindsey will decide between being a state or a local trooper. She likes the idea of being a local trooper because of the connections she could make with a town, and her job prospects are good.
“Every chance they get, the officers I work with say, ‘We need more women.’ There’s a big demand for them.”
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