MOLINE, Ill. — A student from St. Ambrose University will temporarily join the Moline Police Department as they work to incorporate social work into policing.
Elizabeth Jolly, who is studying social work, has been selected for a paid internship with the police department's Police Social Work program. This position is sponsored by the city.
The efforts of combining social work with the police department in Moline launched in August of 2020 when the department started partnering with the Center for Youth and Family Solutions.
According to a statement from the Moline Police Department, since starting the program, police have made 533 social service referrals to the center.
"The internship will expose the student to this innovative partnership between police and social workers and provide an in-depth and hands-on experience navigating the challenges that police and social workers encounter on a daily basis," read a statement from the Moline Police Department. "It will also provide an immediate benefit to the residents."
Jolly will work 16 hours per week from January through the end of April.
The Moline Police Department is hosting a virtual press conference about this at 2 p.m.
