A Job Application Gone Awry

Some of my readers may or may not know that I recently interviewed for and was given the opportunity to be the Stranger's next News Intern. Everyone has asked me "what exactly does a news intern do?" Well, here is the job advertisement that was posted a few weeks ago:

"Do you spend your days dreaming of digging through court records to find out terrible things about secret Republican politicians? Or following the often mind-numbing actions of the city and county councils? Or perhaps fighting grizzly bears?

How about doing two of those three things for free? (You have to pay to see the bears.) If so, we have the opportunity of a lifetime. The Stranger is looking for a news intern.

Just think—the Slog posts you will post! The arcane information you will look up! The Morning News-es you will post on weekends still slightly drunk with a screaming headache at 8 a.m.! I have lived through all of those experiences, and emerged stronger.

Interested? Send an e-mail telling us why you should be the chosen one (with two or three clips or other writing samples, if you've got 'em)..."

Today was my first day, and it went well. My assignment was to head over to the SPD East Precinct and obtain hundreds of electronic police report copies. After that, I spent a few hours skimming through them all trying to find something worthwhile. There were hardly any interesting ones. However, I picked one, and did a short write-up of the incident. It's a rough copy, but we all have to start somewhere. And I present it as such:

In these troubled economic times, dropping off a job application can get you mugged on the side of the road. A Seattle Police report obtained from the East Precinct indicates that on November 19th at approximately 2:20 p.m. the victim in this case was driving from Renton to North Seattle in order to deliver an application for employment. "He was then driving south on 3 Ave NW from Holman Rd NW and hit a pothole, flattening his right front tire." After pulling off to the side of the road, he went to his trunk to obtain a can of flat repair spray. Soon thereafter he noticed a "large sidewall hole" on the flat tire. The victim reported feeling a blow to the back of the head, but initially thought it was the side-view mirror. The victim turned to notice an unidentified suspect standing over him with a kitchen knife--"possible black handled steak knife, stainless blade, with a copper colored cap where the blade joins handle"--pointed, at close range, at the victim's neck. The suspect took the victim's cash and fled the scene on foot. "Victim thought about driving after the suspect but then recalled that his tire was flat," the report concludes.

Thoughts? Comments? Criticisms? This is all a work in progress, and I hope to get the most out of this internship before it ends in three months time.

[Update] - Here is the actual post.

You Have The Right To Not Say Anything Specific: Or, My Civilian Ridealong

This may come as a surprise to some--it has thus far--but any civilian can sign up to ride along with a Seattle police officer for a four hour period.  All you have to do is go into a Seattle Police Precinct--I chose East--and fill out a small form, provide a piece of I.D., and pass a background check.  If you can do all that, you're in!

However, I am afraid that I can't share much information on the things to which I beared witness; this is for the legal protection of myself, the officers involved, the suspects, the victims, the bystanders, etc.  What I can tell you is that my ride was focused only in the Central District--they call it George sector (see the dark purple sections on the left).  And let's just say that the following things may or may not have happened: a belligerent drunk threatened to harm hospital staff and needed to be restrained; a crack house standoff ensued (see also the CDN); some crackheads were having sex in an open garage stairwell.  Like I said, I can neither affirm nor deny that those things happened.

For me to say that the experience was 'fun' would only weaken the actual reality of it all; that is, it was depressing.  I have nothing but the highest respect for the Seattle Police Officers that have to deal with this bullshit on a daily basis.  This is a job in which I wouldn't make it through a first full day's work.  These men and women work hard, and I appreciate that they are willing to do it.  I strongly suggest that you sign up and experience this as I have.  It is both exhilarating and enlightening.  And I would also suggest that you do it sooner rather than later, because I was informed that SPD is talking about ending the civilian ridealong program.  As to why, I have only one response: YouTube.

If you want the dirtier details of the night, you will need to ask me in person.