Police Ride Alongs Bring Classroom Lessons to Life



Emma Ramsey’s pulse raced as she sat in a Pittsfield Police cruiser watching a young man who had overdosed on opioids turn blue from lack of oxygen. This was one of her first ride-alongs with the Pittsfield Police Department, and the Criminal Justice program senior said the experience is helping her to shape her future career choices.


“That’s the moment when I knew that this is what I wanted to do for a career,” she said, describing how police officers administered Narcan to save the young man’s life. “If I didn’t join the Criminal Justice program, I would never have known about all the opportunities available for me in this career field.”


Emma, who is home schooled, took the initiative to set up the work-based learning experience by approaching police officers at a town school board meeting in April and asking if the department would consider mentoring her. Pittsfield Police Chief Joe Collins agreed and set up a schedule that has Emma working with police officers ten hours a week, where she is exposed to a range of experiences that include filling out paperwork, learning RSA codes and going on cruiser ride-alongs with department officers.


“Emma is so excited about this incredible opportunity,” said Criminal Justice teacher Gail Beaudoin, who added that Chief Collins had high praise for Emma’s work ethic. “She is getting tremendous experience there, as well as exposure to what policing is all about.”


Emma first learned about the CRTC when her brother went through the Automotive Technology program, and found out about Criminal Justice from a friend who was in the program. Part of what attracted her to the CRTC is the applied learning model that blends classroom lessons with hands-on skill training, she said.


“I’m not the type to sit back and wait for things to happen,” she said. “I don’t like taking things out of a book, I’d much rather get out there and actually do it.”


The CRTC Criminal Justice program is a nontraditional Career and Technical Education program for female students, meaning that individuals of one gender comprise fewer than 25% of individuals employed in this career field. As a female student seeking a nontraditional career pathway, Emma says that Ms. Beaudoin is a great role model because she has over three decades of law enforcement experience, and was the first female in the Chelmsford, MA, Police Department to attain the rank of lieutenant.


“Ms. Beaudoin is a female who found success in a male-dominated job, so that says a lot about who she is,” Emma said. “And it gives me inspiration to feel like I can do it too.”


Click Here to learn more about the CRTC Criminal Justice program.

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