Officers in the Dearborn Police Internship Program with Chief Ron Haddad

DEARBORN — The Dearborn Police Department’s latest group of interns are a diverse group of students who simultaneously attend Henry Ford College or the University of Michigan-Dearborn while working part time with the department.

The internship program has been successful in the past in selecting students from local high schools and guiding them on a law enforcement career path.

This year’s roster of interns includes Edsel Ford High School graduate Sahar Azaz, 17; Fordson High School graduates Mehdi Ayoub,18, Majdy Alaktam,18 and Hussein Abdallah,19; Dearborn High School graduate Hassan Naji, 18 and Richard Eremia, 20, a graduate from Cabrini High School Allen Park.

The interns are required to work 28 hours a week with the department, handling a wide variety of responsibilities that can include patrolling neighborhoods with police officers, paperwork, booking and jail duties. 

The interns said Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad has served as a mentor during their tenure with the department.

“He always stresses on the importance of education,” Abdallah said. “He always asks us how school is going. It is the number one priority in this program. You have to meet the requirements and maintain a certain GPA.”

Haddad said the internship program has served as an instrumental tool in selecting students from the community and guiding them into the right path with their career aspirations. Many of the previous interns have gone on to get jobs within the city or at other municipalities. 

“We are committed to our youth programs,” Haddad said. “These interns clearly demonstrate the high value of investing. I’m extremely proud of each and every one of them and they represent our community extremely well. The future is bright.”

Haddad noted that the city has expanded on its internship positions. Originally, the city had budgeted for five, but this year it was able to expand it to 10 paid internship positions. 

In selecting its interns, the department scouts out local high schools for the positions. They work with counselors in identifying students in good standing with the school who would be interested. 

Alaktam, who grew up in Dearborn’s Southend, said residents were excited to hear about his internship position with the department. He often has to correct them when they believe he is already a police officer. 

“Residents want officers to be from the area,” Alaktam said. “They want more diversity. It helps deal with serious and stressful situations.”

In the past, the department has faced criticism from residents for lacking diversity on its force. But in the last few years, the city has hired a wave of officers from the local community and continues to seek out potential future employees from the local high schools. 

Eremia, the only intern who grew up outside of the Dearborn area, said he’s been able to learn a lot about the Arab American culture being among his fellow interns. 

“I like it because you get to see a different perspective,” Eremia said. “It’s a good way to make a connection with the public. You are able to assist to the best of your capability in order to make residents feel safer. It’s about working as a team and getting the goals done.”

And when it comes to diversity, look no further than Azaz, a Muslim teenager who wears the hijab.

Azaz has already encountered glares ranging from confusion to shock from residents who may have seen her in uniform riding along with officers who are patrolling Dearborn’s streets. 

She said she’s looking to break stigmas often unfairly pinned on Muslim women through the internship at the department and her future in law enforcement.

“Some people in the community are not accepting of it,” Azaz said.  “But I’ve been getting a lot of feedback from people who are surprised and like what I’m doing.”

Her parents were originally opposed to her seeking a career path in law enforcement, but she said they’ve come to terms with her decision. She’s looking to be a role model for other Arab American women who have an interest in a similar career but might feel hesitant in pursuing those aspirations. 

Azaz said she requests no special accommodations for wearing the hijab. She goes through the same training and follows the same protocols as anyone else. 

“I follow the same rules and do everything,” she said. “It’s been a good way to develop your leadership skills. A lot of people don’t have access to the resources we have here. We could have a better chance of getting hired here and getting our foot in the door. We have a connection to this community.” 

Rylee Jayson, Michael Gregory and Mariam Hovallah are also working as interns at the department. Currently, there is still one spot available for an internship position. 

The interns will still need to successfully complete the police academy in order to become police officers. 

According to Haddad, the department currently has 188 officers on its police force. In 2016, he is aiming to bring that total up to 194.