Urban Policy

LEARNING CURVE
A compelling class seen through the eyes of professor and student

THE STUDENT:

Katie Tinto
A.B. ’96, Urban Studies

o you want a bulletproof vest? We offer it to every ride-along." I shook my head no although my confidence was fading fast. "You won't need it. Don't worry about it." Sure, easy for him to say, but I chose to believe this police officer, who has been my friend since my first day at the department. I have to admit that several worst-case scenarios were flashing in my head as I sat in the front seat of the police car. I was on my first ride-along since starting to work at the East Palo Alto Police Department. Later that day, watching from the car as the officer talked to two men allegedly trespassing, I thought, "A year ago, I never would have guessed that I would be sitting here now."

Back then, I was in a book-paneled room in the Political Science Building. It was the first day of my seminar on "Urban Policy" with Professor Luis Fraga. A senior urban studies major, I had taken lecture courses on similar issues, but this was my first opportunity to experience those issues as an intern.

As I surveyed my choices for an internship in urban policy, I realized that this class offered me a wonderful opportunity. It was a chance to challenge myself and gain a different perspective on urban issues. When the time came to pick my internship, I heard myself say, "the East Palo Alto Police Department."

During my internship, I began what is now the Family Violence Prevention Program there. I started by creating an advisory board composed of community members and experts in the fields of domestic violence and related issues. We created an outline of the "ideal" family violence prevention program for the community. This process enabled me to learn about the people of the community and to interact, as a colleague, with activists, district attorneys, probation officers and teachers.

Urban Policy (Plain text)

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