Week Four - Court & More

Welcome back to another exciting week of my internship experience! This week was quite eventful. I participated in an Off-Highway Vehicle Training, attended Federal Court, worked with the SAMO downtown LA office doing outreach with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), and assisted SAMO Youth with maintenance work.

Guess who got certified in operating Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles…..ME!!

I completed the online e-course and basic driving course with the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROV). This was an awesome experience, I never expected that my week would start off this way but I’m glad it did. When operating an ROV its best to begin with the basics such as safety practices and learning about the various parts of the vehicle. It took me an hour to complete the online training modules and quizzes. After completing the online course I received a certification of completion. This is when the fun part began!

The basic driving course was a stimulating experience. I learned about pre-operation safety checks which included: tires and wheels, controls, oil and other fluids, lights, and occupant retention systems. Once routine maintenance was done we covered the importance of ramp angles and observing the terrain before attempting to drive it. Once the tutorials were over we got to the cool part. I then began maneuvering through various trails at Paramount Ranch.

When a person violates 36 CFR they are issued a violation notice which is processed by the Central Violations Bureau (CVB). The CVB receives these citations from NPS rangers from across the country and sets forth initial appearance court dates. After processing the citations court dates are set for the suspect is given the opportunity to contest the violation(s). 

Going to the federal court was a great learning experience. SAMO’s Law Enforcement Specialist (LES) also serves as the court liaison officer between the park and the Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA). They work in collaboration to best resolve violations and set court appearances post initial appearances. At the court house the LES introduced me to a U.S attorney who represents the NPS, and taught me about the process that occurs after a person is issued a violation and the consequences of misdemeanor violations on federal property. At court two cases were on the docket; the first a dog off leash violation and the second was for a parking violation.

After court I visited the Los Angeles SAMO office. I met with the outreach program rangers who work for the Interpretation division. I learned about their mission in regards to community outreach. The rangers and I conducted a program at the YMCA center in downtown LA discussing the importance of pollinators. Pollinators such as bees benefit our daily lives in many ways such as giving us clean air to breathe, promoting fruit development, conventional plant breeding, and deliver us a variety of honey. The day was filled with boundless excitement and physical enrichment activities for the kids. It really felt gratifying to work with these young people.

The following day I worked with the SAMO youth on a fencing project near Paramount ranch.  Despite the intense heat of southern California all of us worked hard to complete the task at hand. We worked together to maintain a safe working environment.  Everyone is a SAFETY OFFICER.

 These kids work very hard and have vibrant personalities.  The SAMO youth is one unique program conducted here at SAMO. The program permits city youth to participate in a variety of events including hikes, trail and infrastructure maintenance, and other projects like plant nursery; which help shape them into outstanding young men and women when they move onto college.