• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Leadership
    • Liability — not always a showstopper!
      A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
      Do you know your emotional intelligence?
      Addressing racism in the workplace
      Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
  • Topics
    • Leadership
      • Liability — not always a showstopper!
        A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
        Do you know your emotional intelligence?
        Addressing racism in the workplace
        Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
    • Editor’s Picks
      • Police humor only a cop would understand
        Legacy never dies
        Mentorship: Ensuring future success
        Pink patches, powerful impact
        The future is here
    • On the Job
      • Legacy never dies
        Into the abyss
        A winding road
        Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
        I brought home a dog
    • Labor
      • Differentiation in police recruitment
        Building positive media relations
        LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
        Racing with a purpose
        Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
    • Tech
      • Cutting-edge police technology
        One step closer
        New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and...
        Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and...
        The future is here
    • Training
      • Mentorship: Ensuring future success
        Unlocking innovation
        Training dipshittery
        Police Academy 20
        Using critical thinking to crack the case
    • Policy
      • Consolidation in action
        California lawmakers push mask ban for officers, raising safety...
        Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
        California makes police misconduct records publicly available
        A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
    • Health/Wellness
      • Pink patches, powerful impact
        Time and distance
        Meditation is hard because it’s not what you think
        Life off the clock
        Self-help for anxiety
    • Community
      • Community engagement: What is it moving forward?
        Contradictory crossroads
        Back-to-school season brings out police support nationwide
        A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
        Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
    • Offbeat
      • Police humor only a cop would understand
        Not eggzactly a perfect heist
        Pizza … with a side of alligator?
        Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
        Only in California?
    • We Remember
      • York County ambush leaves three officers dead, others critically...
        Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
        Team Romeo
        National Police Week 2025
        Honoring Fallen Heroes
    • HOT Mail
      • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • On the Job
    • Legacy never dies
      Into the abyss
      A winding road
      Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
      I brought home a dog
  • Labor
    • Differentiation in police recruitment
      Building positive media relations
      LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
      Racing with a purpose
      Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
  • Tech
    • Cutting-edge police technology
      One step closer
      New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and...
      Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and...
      The future is here
  • Training
    • Mentorship: Ensuring future success
      Unlocking innovation
      Training dipshittery
      Police Academy 20
      Using critical thinking to crack the case
  • Policy
    • Consolidation in action
      California lawmakers push mask ban for officers, raising safety...
      Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
      California makes police misconduct records publicly available
      A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
  • Health/Wellness
    • Pink patches, powerful impact
      Time and distance
      Meditation is hard because it’s not what you think
      Life off the clock
      Self-help for anxiety
  • Community
    • Community engagement: What is it moving forward?
      Contradictory crossroads
      Back-to-school season brings out police support nationwide
      A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
      Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
  • Offbeat
    • Police humor only a cop would understand
      Not eggzactly a perfect heist
      Pizza … with a side of alligator?
      Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
      Only in California?
  • We Remember
    • York County ambush leaves three officers dead, others critically...
      Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
      Team Romeo
      National Police Week 2025
      Honoring Fallen Heroes
  • HOT Mail
    • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Search

Community

Idaho sheriff’s office hosts successful law enforcement career camp for teens

APB Team Published June 30, 2023 @ 12:00 pm PDT

Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office

This summer, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office in Idaho is making strides to inspire the next generation of law enforcement professionals through its Teen Law Enforcement Career Camp.

Now in its second year, the four-day camp has expanded to two sessions in June due to its overwhelming success and high demand. With a total of 21 participants in the first week and 17 in the second, the camp offers high school students a unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience in topics like diving, shooting and effective communication within a law enforcement context.

Deputy Nate Downey, a school resource officer with the sheriff’s office, was enthusiastic about the camp’s potential to generate excitement for the law enforcement industry and inspire the next generation of recruits.

“We can use it to build excitement for the industry and the career path and to help recruitment for the future for the sheriff’s office,” the deputy told EastIdahoNews.com.

Downey said it was important to allow teenagers interested in the law enforcement profession to experience a taste of what it entails through a variety of engaging activities.

One of the highlights of the camp was a visit to Idaho Dive Pirates in Idaho Falls, where the participants were divided into groups and instructed in scuba diving techniques in a pool.

Downey explained that the county’s dive team, responsible for exploring rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water, inspired this immersive experience. He further shared his delight in witnessing the campers step out of their comfort zones and realize their capabilities. Many participants embraced the opportunity to conquer personal fears and push themselves beyond their limits.

“Some of them will enjoy it, and some of them are struggling through the activities and the different aspects of the sheriff’s office, but we get to see them try new things and realize, ‘Hey, I can do this stuff, I can make this happen, I can conquer some of my own personal fears and get through it,’” he said. “We see that today, especially here in the pool with the kids scuba diving. They are doing great.”

The camp also places a strong emphasis on team-building exercises, as effective teamwork and communication are integral to success within law enforcement.

Downey expressed the importance of teaching communication skills, as many students struggle with face-to-face interactions outside of text-based communication. By fostering these vital skills, the camp aims to equip participants with the tools necessary for effective collaboration.

“We want to teach them communication skills. Being in the school as an SRO, I see the students. A lot of the times, they struggle to communicate unless they are texting, and to have a one-on-one conversation with someone, a face-to-face conversation with someone, it gets a little more difficult, and so we teach them about communication skills,” Downey explained.

Over the course of the camp, the teenagers will also learn about gun safety, firearm usage at a designated gun range, the roles of SWAT teams and emergency response units, and the functions of the K-9 team.

In an exciting addition this year, the camp will engage in a community service project in partnership with the BCSO Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #8 and the local Ammon Walmart, where the participants will have the opportunity to purchase and donate school supplies to benefit local schools, further instilling a sense of civic responsibility and community engagement.

Thirteen-year-old Kenna, one of Downey’s daughters and a participant in the camp, shared her experience thus far.

“We learned how to protect ourselves in a shooting and assess the situation. Communication is the most important thing,” she said. “We do a bunch of fun things and they teach us how to be a part of a SWAT team and underwater searches. It’s really fun.”

Despite initial apprehension, she found scuba diving to be exhilarating. Inspired by her father’s work, Kenna expressed interest in pursuing a career in law enforcement, though she remains open to exploring other options.

Downey encouraged other teenagers to take advantage of this unique opportunity. The camp is open to students who have completed eighth grade and who are 18 years old or under.

The sheriff’s office further it looks forward to welcoming future participants and hopes to continue providing valuable insights into the world of law enforcement.

Categories: Community Tags: teenagers, career camp, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, diving, summer camp, Law Enforcement, Idaho, youth, shooting, community

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Announces September 2025 Officers of the Month
  • Community engagement: What is it moving forward?
  • Liability — not always a showstopper!
  • Police humor only a cop would understand
  • Contradictory crossroads
  • Cutting-edge police technology
  • Legacy never dies
  • One step closer
  • Mentorship: Ensuring future success
  • Differentiation in police recruitment

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

Police humor only a cop would understand

Police humor only a cop would understand

October 25, 2025

Legacy never dies

Legacy never dies

October 22, 2025

Mentorship: Ensuring future success

Mentorship: Ensuring future success

October 20, 2025

Pink patches, powerful impact

Pink patches, powerful impact

October 11, 2025

Policies | Consent Preferences | Copyright © 2025 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.