Visitor and Resource Protection

After spending time with every other park division and learning all about the park's resources, programs, history, and management, I finished my internship with Gettysburg NMP's Visitor and Resource Protection Division, or more simply, the park's law enforcement division. While the ProRanger program has exposed me to many different park positions, the program is ultimately dedicated to resource protection, and I hope to become a law enforcement park ranger. In the weeks that I spent with law enforcement I learned an incredible amount about the job's duties, requirements, and day to day responsibilities. Save for some classroom training and several ridealongs this summer, I had very little law enforcement experience when I arrived. After finishing my weeks in the division, I learned an impressive amount about the job, although I will readily admit that I still have so much more to learn. Throughout the three weeks I spent with law enforcement, I spent a lot of that time riding along with rangers and my supervisor, Ranger Murphy. I learned what to look out for while on patrol, and how to notice tell-tale signs of common resource and traffic violations. I got to observe a number of traffic stops within the park boundary, and later, I learned how written warnings and citations were written, which meant becoming more familiar with federal and state laws, including 36 CFR, a subsection of the code of federal regulations that deals with parks, forests, and public property. I also got to try my hand at using IMARS, incident management analysis and reporting system, the online program rangers use to write reports after incidents and traffic stops. I even got to try my hand at report writing.
I also learned about verbal judo, a series of strategies to communicate more effectively. As a ranger, one of my most useful assets be how well I can communicate with visitors, be it to inform, educate, or defuse tense or hostile situations. After watching a lecture on the subject, I got to put practice my skills in a series of scenarios involving angry and distraught people. Having learned about how to better communicate, and how to write citations and reports, I got to practice these skills in a series of mock traffic stops. Through much trial and error I learned the very basics of what to say and do during a traffic stop.
Between all of this, we also went over gun safety, shooting stances, and proper firearm handling. Through instruction and repetition I learned how to disassemble a P229 Sig Sauer, an AR-15 rifle, and a Remington 870 shotgun. I didn't have much exposure to firearms growing up, and I learned a lot about proper safety and handling. I am looking forward to learning how to shoot in the near future. My time with law enforcement has taught me an incredible amount, and only left me more excited for the future.

Sig Sauer P229