To serve and mentor

Bradford City Police Chief Michael Ward ’01 is dedicated to enhancing public safety and ensuring all community members receive excellent service. He also seeks to encourage and support the next generation of law enforcement professionals to make certain there is a strong talent pipeline to meet the often-complex needs of the city and region.

A key effort Ward has undertaken to meet both goals has been a long-running intern partnership he conceived and continues to manage with Pitt-Bradford’s criminal justice program.

“While I was attending Pitt-Bradford, I had the opportunity to do an internship with the Foster Township Police Department,” Ward said. “It allowed me to get a great sense of what it was like to be a police officer and gain mentorship from folks already working in the field.”

Ward joined the Bradford Police in 2002 and began taking on criminal justice interns himself to give others the same opportunity he had. As he moved up the ranks, he had the opportunity to formalize the program with the support of Dr. Tony Gaskew, professor of criminal justice and longtime director of the program who is now associate dean of academic affairs at Pitt-Bradford.

Today, the department hosts three interns per semester who are paired with individual officers and work up to 20 hours per week. Students participate in ride-alongs, learn the inner workings of police procedure, and can investigate what areas they may want to focus on once they begin their careers.

Ward also uses the program as a recruiting tool to ensure the department has the best access to top talent. Currently, four former interns serve on the 20-person force. Past participants have also gone on to roles with other law enforcement agencies, including the Pennsylvania State Police.

“We have been able to create a symbiotic relationship with the department that enhances the education we can provide, makes our students more career-ready and gives them a distinct advantage as they enter the work force,” said Dr. Obinna Ezeihuoma, assistant professor of criminal justice and current director of the program.

Max Bizzak, a senior criminal justice major from Kane, Pa., has been interning with the department during the current academic year and echoes the value the opportunity has provided.

“My father and grandfather were both in law enforcement, so this was always something I wanted to do, but this internship has really allowed me to see behind the curtain and experience what policing is really like,” Bizzak said. “For me, it confirmed that this is what I want to do and furthered my drive to serve others.”

Bizzak is currently applying for admission into the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and has received significant support from Ward and other members of the department as he has gone through what is a six-month process. He graduates in May and hopes to begin the academy in June.

“Chief Ward and the entire team have really helped me prepare for this next step, and I feel like I am ready to enter the Academy and succeed,” he added.

Ezeihuoma notes that the criminal justice program is currently looking to develop partnerships with additional law enforcement agencies that will provide internship placements for students while also offering officers a chance to return to school to continue their education.

“Our work with the Bradford Police Department is really serving as a model as we look to expand community engagement that can support the needs of our students and law enforcement agencies across the state,” Ezeihuoma said.

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