Photo: (from left to right): Dr. Peter Froelich (Assistant Professor at UJ), LT Mike McMerty, Officer Clint Fuller, Jacob Valleroy, Sgt John Brocker (back), and Officer Caity Horne (front)

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (UJ) – The Bismarck Police Department honored University of Jamestown student Jacob (Jake) Valleroy for the exceptional service he gave to the department while serving as a 2019 summer intern.

Four officers from the department drove from Bismarck to University of Jamestown to present Valleroy with an honorary plaque and thank him for his service. They explained that in the past, the internship program served more as a means to show students how the department works. But, Valleroy was given a lot of responsibility.

“Jake, I was told, was supposed to do 300 hours of work for this program, and we were going to run it through that period,” said Lt. Mike McMerty.

After interviewing Valleroy and speaking with his professor, the officers decided to create an internship program for him in the Crime Prevention Section. His main task was to set up a Neighborhood Watch Program, which involved a lot of interaction with the public and convincing city heads of how important this project could be for residents.

By the end of June, Valleroy had already clocked in his 300 hours. Lieutenant McMerty let him know he had fulfilled his commitment, but Valleroy wanted to continue working for the department and complete the Neighborhood Watch Program.

“He gave up his summer job. He gave up basically his life,” explained Lieutenant McMerty. “Driving 30 miles to the station every day and back. I mean you couldn’t ask for a more dedicated person that was doing such a great job.”

Ultimately, Valleroy finished the Neighborhood Watch Program the weekend before he had to get back to class, clocking in a total of 588 hours of volunteer work. Lieutenant McMerty did the math – Valleroy saved the department about $11,000 in what they would have had to pay an officer to do the same work.