Ashley TerryField Period JournalsWinter 2015

1/5/15Today, I started my Field Period at the Yates County courthouse. There was some trouble getting into the building at first, but after some traveling around things were all worked out. This made me realize that I should have called or emailed my site a few days before to get access to the building. During the day I observed the Court Security Officer checking in people in Family Court and sending them in when it was there turn to see the judge. It was very interesting to all the types of people that were in family court and all the lawyers. I also was able to observe some family court hearings which I liked best of the day. I never have seen any type of court hearings other than on TV and a lot of these cases went by much faster than I thought they would. I also got to meet the judge. I think there were about 45 cases seen that day. I also viewed some of the things that go on when first walking in the courthouse at the MAG station. If you are not an officer, courthouse worker or lawyer then you must put your stuff through an x-ray machine and walk through a metal detector. Overall, a very interesting day.

1/6/15Today, I was at the courthouse again. The judge was hearing Supreme Court cases this afternoon, there were only three cases today in total, but they were a bit longer than yesterday and even more interesting. While in the courtroom I sat behind the court security officer, It was very cool to see the proceedings from that side of things. Hopefully before this Field Period is over I will get to see a bigger court case that takes an hour or more instead of these much shorter cases. In the morning I was in the control room where all the monitors display surveillance cameras from the courthouse and across the street at the county building. It was not the most exciting time, but it was good to see the background work to keep the buildings safe.

1/7/15I was in the jail today I followed the rover around most of the day and learned a lot about the jail and how things are ran in this particular county jail. They house mainly Yates County offenders, but there are some federal inmates and one from another county. They also had to send someone to another county because of troubles she was causing a officer. I learned about their recreation time, meal time, how the jail is set up, the inmates minimum standards and viewed a lot of paperwork that is dealt with on a daily basis. When the rover I was following had to do a transport I stayed up in booking and observed how that was done. There are a lot of questions the booking officer has to ask the inmate before they can be put in their cell. This jail was quite different from the one I did my Field Period at freshman year.

1/8/15Today I was in the 911 Communications Division observing the tellers taking phone calls and dispatching fire, police, or EMS to the appropriate places. There was a school tour this morning and that gave me a lot of the information I needed to learn about what goes on in the 911 center and how to get a job there. I also got my photo taken today for my ID and looked at some past crime scene photos that are uploaded into the dispatchers computers . It was very cool and eye opening to see the real crime scene photos with some dead bodies and animals and car accidents

and the like. Not as boring as freshman year at the Delaware County dispatch center, that is for sure.

1/9/15I was in the dispatch center again today. I observed more of how the dispatchers took calls and noted that they were all calm on the phone and were required to ask a series of questions depending on the condition of the caller or the person that was being called for. Each dispatcher has a relatively large book that gives the appropriate questions to ask for multiple situations. I also received my guest pass that I will be wearing for the continuation of my Field Period. Overall, it was a good and informative week. I am curious to see what next week will bring. The only complaint I have is that I wish I could do some ride alongs with the county road patrol or get a more indepth look at what an investigator does.

1/12/15I was in the county courthouse again with court security today. I was in control for the first hour and noticed that there was a memorandum put out telling the people of the building that I was going to be there observing for the month. It was quite interesting. There was Family Court hearings in the morning, one case was settled and one was moved to another date because a lawyer was sick. In the afternoon there was one case that was settled. There was an adoption later that day, but I was not allowed to observe that. While in control I acknowledged alarms, watched the cameras for transport coming in, and learned a little more about the courthouse overall. It was a pretty slow day.

1/13/14Today, I was in the courthouse again. I helped unlock the building and set up for court that day. I was glad that I was able to do something, even if it was very tiny. I was able to observe County Court in the morning and Family and Supreme in the afternoon. It is very awesome that I get to observe more than just one kind of court to see all of the different types there are. I could see myself as a court security officer. After helping clean up the courtroom when all the cases were done I spent the rest of the day at the MAG station where a few people showed up for probation and talked with the officer, a Keuka alum, a little bit about how he came upon this job. A lot of the people I have been talking to have said they basically just fell into the job and started out wanting to do something else, I hope I end up working somewhere I love.

1/14/15At the jail today I followed a rover around again and observed how the meals were served, helped watch for inmates that needed to walk through the halls, and learned more about the history of the jail and how things have changed a lot since some of the corrections officers started. It was only a half day today, so I did not do much, but I did get some job advice and was given some paperwork to look over that inmates in drug court have to fill out. I am very thankful for all the help everyone I am working with gives me.

1/15/15In the 911 center I observed more phone calls and met some of the officers that go on these calls as well as one of their investigators. I loved talking with him and hearing about some of the cases that he worked. I also learned about what the operator does as traffic stops and saw some

of the paperwork they need to print out for the officers if they ask. The dispatchers can see if a car is registered or is the person stopped has a valid license. I also learned that the computers are connected for efficiency. I thought that was very smart.

1/20/15Today I was at the county courthouse. While there I helped the court security officer set up the courtroom to prepare for that days cases. It was Supreme and County Court today, there was County Court in the morning. I was able to observe some cases in the morning. There was also some hearings down on the first floor. Later in the afternoon I was in the Control Room acknowledging any alarms that came up. I was glad I could help in any way they let me. It is hard to get any real hands on experience in any of the county systems, they are afraid of liability problems.

1/21/15At the jail today I was with a rover with E block for most of the morning. I followed her through morning block check and observed the trustees deliver breakfast and lunch, So far every morning I have been there breakfast has always been the same thing, but lunch has varied. In the afternoon, I was with the E post officer where I followed her during block checks every 15 minutes. During block checks the inmates would ask for things such as paper, toiletries, and anything else they wanted and were allowed to have. Then we delivered mail to the inmates after checking it. Some inmates were locked in and were not allowed to roam around the block like the rest because of rules they broke while there. I was informed that the officers must treat the inmates all the same no matter what they are in jail for. An interesting concept, although very hard to accomplish when dealing with people such as a child molester compared to a thief.

1/22/15While in the 911 Center today, I continued to observe the dispatchers answer calls as well as review old ones for records and other necessary information. I found out that some calls can be very silly, like a ride to your doctors appointment by the police. I also learned that when receiving radio calls the dispatcher must indicate the time that the calls was received. I also learned there were different types of rings for different types of phone calls, emergencies are more urgent sounding while information calls are a simple ring. I was able to look at some crime scene photos of a drug stakeout that is helpful for me to know what type of photos I should be taking if I decide to be an investigator.

1/23/15At the 911 center today I noted that no matter what the dispatchers are in the middle of they drop it to take a call. I also noted that there is one specific dispatcher that answers all the phone calls while the other two listen in and decide which avenue to use to best help the caller, whether it be police, ambulance, fire, or a combination. This of course is only if there are three dispatchers in at the time. While on the call the dispatcher must also ask the caller for their phone number and address for their records even if they are not calling from or about their home. This helps the dispatchers in the future know if they have dealt with this person before and what the history was about the call. I find this should be very helpful, especially when talking about calls involving the police. I was also able to talk to some investigators and listen to a couple stories that piqued my interest about the job. I know I want to work in this type of field, but what exactly yet is still a mystery.

1/26/15Today, I was at court again. It was a very busy and interesting day to say the least. There was a pistol permit hearing where the judge was to decide whether or not he would allow a man to get his permit back after it had been taken away a few years prior. There were four witnesses that gave testimony, including the man that is looking to get his permit back. After the first two witnesses the judge declared a short recess before hearing the final two. The case was not finished today because there was still one more witness to be heard that could not make it today. In the morning I observed the sergeant doing accreditation for the year, this is where he has to prove that court security complies to the standards set by New York State. Accreditation needs to be done yearly and every department has to do it. I also sat at the MAG for a short time and went to a small retirement party for the sergeant. I also took pictures for accreditation and helped set up and clean up the courtroom. The rest of the day I was in the control room acknowledging alarms. I liked seeing the case with the witnesses, however I wish I could have seen one with a jury.

1/27/15At the courthouse today I observed a lot of hearings dealing with child support, paternity, health insurance, and the like. The court room was much smaller and there were few times that lawyers were involved. It was quite different and much faster than the previous court cases I have seen and was with a different judge. I also was in the control room for a bit acknowledging alarms. In the afternoon I watched a fact finding hearing where there were lawyers, witnesses, and exhibits. Then the judge had to review all the information and make a decision. Then I went upstairs and saw a man get sentenced to life in prison. It was a very busy day and I think I enjoyed the courthouse the most of them all.

1/28/15My last day in jail I observed breakfast, medication, hot water, and lunch distribution. The trustees give out meals while the officers give out meds and hot water. I also helped observe inmate movement and the dorm post, as well as phone calls the inmates make and meetings with their lawyers. The phone calls and meetings are private with lawyers, as in no one can listen in, but they must be observed through a glass window by the corrections officers. Working in the jail was interesting, but probably not something I would do for a living.

1/29/15While in the 911 call center I observed the communications officers and noted they were contemplating a decision for a new dispatcher. I also learned that they are the gateway to transfer calls to the appropriate avenues. Then I was able to talk with an investigator and learn a bit about what he does and some of the cases he has worked on. I loved learning about it and think that may be something to pursue.

1/30/15On my last day, I was in Communications and learned more about the way the computer indicated where police, fire and ambulance are and if they are busy to better choose the appropriate person to dispatch. This office deals with the county, state and local police officers. The office usually runs with two to three dispatchers, but they can fit up to four. Three dispatchers at all times run the smoothest according to them. I also learned today that the fire

siren runs from this office. It was great seeing what goes on in the background when dealing with criminal activity and emergencies, but I wish I was able to do a bit more than just observe.