Austin A.
INTERPOL Washington, the United States National Central Bureau, serves as the designated representative to the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) on behalf of the Attorney General. INTERPOL Washington is the official U.S. point of contact in INTERPOL's worldwide, police‐to‐police communications and criminal intelligence network.
A component of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), INTERPOL Washington is co‐managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that ensures a continuing commitment to the guidance and oversight of the organization and reinforces its role in effectively sharing and exchanging international criminal investigative and humanitarian assistance information.
"Over the winter quarter, I had the privilege to intern at the United States National Central Bureau, INTERPOL Washington, (USNCB). INTERPOL Washington is jointly managed by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Seven divisions comprise INTERPOL Washington to include: the INTERPOL Operations and Command Center, Alien/Fugitive Division, Terrorism and Violent Crimes Division, Drug Division, Economic Crimes Division, Human Trafficking and Child Protection Division, and the State and Local Police Liaison Division. Whereas INTERPOL agents do not exist, the Department of Justice employs INTERPOL Analysts, which work in the various divisions, and many federal and local agencies detail agents to INTERPOL Washington. These agencies include: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), United States Secret Service, and many, many more.
I first came about this internship on a routine visit to see my advisor in the International Studies Department at Ohio State. As I was leaving I grabbed a couple fliers for internships to look over. All of the internships provided great experience with different organizations; however, only one internship offered an experience that allowed you to have contact with more than 13 different federal agencies. From there, I began to do my own personal research on INTERPOL Washington and what it is comprised of.
After deciding this internship could open many doors for my future career, I applied for the internship, which included submitting a lengthy application, sending a writing sample, going through a background investigation, and passing a drug test. Nevertheless, three months later I was accepted and cleared to begin work in Washington, D.C. working in the Alien/Fugitive Division. I worked alongside other interns, INTERPOL Analysts, and detailed agents from the USMS, ICE, Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.
I urge any student interested in a career in law, international studies, or law enforcement on any level to pursue an internship that can provide lifelong experience and can open doors for their future. An internship with INTERPOL Washington achieves just this. Through working with analysts and detailed agents, one gets a true sense of how law enforcement conducts business on the federal, state, local, and international level. Interested students should continuously browse agencies and organizations for available and upcoming internships and begin the application process as soon as possible due to the lengthiness of the application and clearance process."