Formerly homeless girl learns how to investigate crimes

Contributed photo

Chelsie Lentz, who will be a sophomore at Gresham High School this fall, dusts for fingerprints as Criminalist Tina Willard looks on. Under Willard's tutelage, Chelsie works at Portland crime scenes, collecting evidence, checking for invisible prints, photographing crimes scenes and matching prints to suspects with previous records.

In a little less than a year, Chelsie Lentz, 16, has gone from being homeless to finding a home, so to speak, with the Portland Police Bureau.

Last summer, Chelsie missed the first six weeks of school as she and her father dealt with being homeless after a fire destroyed their Southeast Portland residence. Bereft of a regular address, she was unable to enroll in several Portland and East County high schools until Gresham High took her in.

She entered high school Oct. 20, the day she turned 16. It wasn’t easy trying to catch up with her classmates, she says, noting algebra and English gave her particular grief.

“I was kind of struggling a lot and stressed,” she says.

She adds that she’s “a little bit of a loner” and found it difficult to relate her situation to other students, although, despite her gentle demeanor, she’s clearly a tough-minded girl who complains little and seems focused on the future.

She and her dad eventually found transitional housing in Southwest Portland, so she has to travel a long way, via public transportation, each day to go to school. She and her father hope to find a place soon in the Gresham area, she adds.

Future in fingerprinting

Ironically, Chelsie’s struggles over the past year may have helped her find her future. After talking with high school staff, Chelsie learned about paid internships offered through the Portland Multnomah Youth Corps summer program of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization.

Through the program, she first attended summer school, enabling her to make up her algebra credits. Then she was introduced to the Portland Police Bureau, which has employed her for six weeks this summer in its Forensic Evidence Division.

As a budding criminalist, Chelsie has dusted for fingerprints from such crime scenes as burglaries and gathered other evidence as well, all under the supervision of Criminalist Tina Willard, a crime scene investigator and 19-year veteran of the bureau.

Chelsie says she wanted to apprentice with the forensic division because she enjoys such TV shows as “CSI” and likes putting together the pieces of a crime-scene puzzle.

“I like finding bad people so that they don’t have to do it again, so that they can learn a lesson,” she says.

“The first time I did a fingerprint, I (identified) a person with it,” she adds with obvious pride.

“I call it beginner’s luck,” Willard adds with a smile. “But it really was a good job.”

The criminalist adds that she’s impressed with Chelsie’s work ethic, and the fact she’s overcome circumstances that would have daunted many other young men and women.

“I was impressed with how quick she catches on,” Willard says.

Police praise

Sgt. George Weatheroy, a supervisor in the forensic division, says he’s also been impressed with Chelsie from the moment he met her.

“She sat there and asked some pretty good questions,” he says. “She has never been late. She’s come here and has done everything Criminalist Willard asked her to do.”

And, he added, Willard and Chelsie appear to have forged a lasting friendship, which is evidenced by their easy banter and the way they complete each other’s sentences.

Indeed, Chelsie notes she’s been inspired by Willard and the other division personnel to seriously consider a career in police work. However, she’s learned one thing – crime scene investigating is not really like it’s portrayed on TV.

“They do stuff faster than us,” she says, noting fingerprints are seemingly easy to lift on TV shows, and everyone processes DNA successfully, despite the fact it’s actually time-consuming and expensive.

Nonetheless, she does share one characteristic with those glamorous TV stars passing themselves off as police – she’s finding her place on stage, though in this case, it’s the theater of life. She’s changed her long-term goals from going to a two-year college to going to a four-year one, and seems to be widening her horizons by the moment.

“I’m more confident about myself,” she says with a smile. “I’m encouraging myself a lot.”

Youth Corps

Funded by the city of Portland, Multnomah County Youth Corps students must be residents of Multnomah County, entering their sophomore year, and failing in at least one school subject. Paid internships act as an incentive for the students to successfully complete summer classes for credit restoration.

Students have been placed in jobs at Portland Fire & Rescue, the Parks and Recreation Department, the Water Bureau, the Bureau of Development Services, Environmental Services, the Portland Development Commission and the Police Bureau.

By Rob Cullivan

The Gresham Outlook, Aug 26, 2009

For more information, call 503-234-1541, ext. 191

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