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Story by Jodi Schwan, Pigeon 605

When Sophie Dwelle returned to campus at South ��ֱ���� State University this fall, she had quite the summer experience to share.

There was rappelling down a six-story building as part of training with the Sioux Falls Police Department’s SWAT team.

Spending a day with the bomb squad.

Shadowing the violent crimes and K9 units.

And observing an autopsy.

“We’ve gotten a very broad and well-rounded education. I’ve had police officers tell me I’ve seen more of the department than they have, so it’s been really great,” said Dwelle, a senior criminology major at SDSU.

“This has taken my education and applied it to a field-based level, which has been very valuable. Everyone — all the officers, sergeants, captains, up to the chief have been very welcoming in wanting to help us succeed.”

The Sioux Falls Police Department has offered internships for rising college seniors for four years, including several interns from SDSU.

“We expose them to all aspects of the department and law enforcement,” Police Chief Jon Thum said.

“We want people to be eyes wide open when they get into this field, so we show them everything, from ride-alongs to homicides and other big investigations. We need good communicators with great critical thinking skills, and institutions like SDSU produce well-rounded students with an education that applies to our workforce very well.”

Dwelle is earning her bachelor’s degree in criminology at SDSU, offered through the School of Psychology, Sociology and Rural Studies, which launched in 2021. It previously was offered as minor, but it was so popular the university pursued it as a major.

After beginning with several dozen students majoring in the field four years ago, there now are approximately 150.

“It’s an incredibly important program,” said Paul Markel, the school’s director. “It’s been a pleasure to witness the growth in the last few years, and we continue to see a lot of interest from prospective students as they come to campus. They’re fascinated first by what they’ve seen in the media, and then when they start to have conversations about criminology, they see it’s a much broader world.”

Criminology is a social science that looks at the cause, consequences and treatment of criminal behavior, he explained.

“Students realize this is a huge and exciting field. If they like business and criminology, maybe they go on to investigate fraud or business crime. If they like chemistry, it might be interesting to analyze evidence in a lab. They’re learning about the entire criminal justice system — from making an arrest through the court process and rehabilitation, including reintroduction into the community.”

For Dwelle, a southwest Minnesota native, SDSU’s criminology degree became a draw on multiple levels.

“I saw that it was pretty new, and I wanted something fresh. It wasn’t that far from home, and I love South ��ֱ����,” she said.

“Our professors and courses are great, and with criminology, you get a broad experience. You learn about the behavioral aspects of criminals, the statistics behind it and the research, and then you get to apply what you’ve learned, research it further and possibly publish.”

SDSU’s program is supported by distinguished professors with impressive accomplishments in their fields:

• Patricia Ahmed is a national award-winning sociologist.
• Vaughn Estes, who relocated from Georgia, is a former chief of police with extensive experience in cold cases, body recovery operations and cybercrime.
• Matt Miller, a recently retired FBI special agent, brings more than 30 years of professional experience.

“We have such a fantastic team. They’re all strong researchers and practitioners, and students really respond to that authenticity,” Markel said. “Our students are savvy. They understand these professors are the real deal.”

Dwelle especially responded to a new criminology club launched on campus.

“I feel like this program has put me together with like-minded people, and then the internship 100% confirmed this is what I want to do,” she said.

She’s inclined to pursue work with federal law enforcement agencies, though she’s also not ruling out local, she said.

“I really have a public service mindset,” she said. “I think we’re not doing as much as we could with new technology and innovation in rehabilitation, and I want to go beyond what we have now.”

SDSU students find internships at many local law enforcement agencies as well as SDSU’s own police department, the South ��ֱ���� Highway Patrol and other law enforcement centers across the region, Markel said.

“It’s incredibly exciting to see a student who finds a quality internship really enjoy significant professional development,” he said.

“And at the same time, law enforcement can evaluate the student’s potential and learn about the program’s reputation for providing for the workforce needs of South ��ֱ����. That’s our land-grant mission — to serve the people of South ��ֱ���� — and an internship is a wonderful way to make that bridge.”

The Sioux Falls Police Department has hired seven out of nine interns so far who have completed the program. The remaining two work for smaller agencies “and have been great advocates for our program,” Thum said.

He also serves on the SDSU criminology program’s directors advisory council.

“We want people who understand us and what makes us work, someone with the professionalism we expect,” Thum said. “Through open communication with SDSU and working with staff, we know that’s the student they’re producing as well — a well-rounded student ready to hit the workforce and make a difference in their community.”

Learn more about the criminology program at SDSU.