28 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: SEPTEMBER 2017 by Alyssa Foley T he National Law Enforcement Mu- seum hosted four sessions of the Fo- rensic Detectives Summer Camp in June and July 2017. Forensic Detectives, spon- sored by Battelle, gave middle-school children the opportunity to explore the messy, meticulous and fun world of forensic science. Throughout the week, students investigated a mock murder case, acting as crime scene investigators, DNA analysts and medical exam- iners to find the murderer. “I liked looking for evidence and matching the blood.” – C.J., age 12 Students received hands- on training in the basics of chromatography, fingerprint identification and much more. On the final day, students took on the important roles of the state’s attorneys and the expert witnesses. While not all cases were decided in the students’ favor, most kids were excited to show off what they had learned. “Camp was fun and hands on.” – Jon, age 14 Actual law enforcement and forensic science profes- sionals visited the students to provide real-life insight into what they were learning at camp. A crime scene investigator and DNA analyst from the Washington, DC Depart- ment of Forensic Sciences taught the students about fracture matching by having them reassemble a broken plate and detect DNA mix- tures. A fingerprint expert from the U.S. Secret Service talk- ed about the many ways to visualize latent prints and how even the experts can make mistakes. Students in Baltimore, Maryland, talked with of- ficers from the Baltimore Police Department who gave the campers tips on how to question a witness and how to investigate an alibi. “I liked investigating the crime and extracting DNA from a strawberry.” – Reid, age 12 Students in Washington, DC were supported by Bat- telle, as well as the Smith Foundation and FBI Nation- al Citizens Academy Alumni Association. Students in Baltimore were supported by Battelle and the Living Classrooms Foundation. Alyssa Foley is the Manager of Adult and Family Programs at the National Law Enforcement Museum. Visit www.LawEn- forcementMuseum.com for more information law enforcement- related educational programs. In the Forensics Detectives class, kids get a chance to work mock cases, analyze evidence and all kinds of other stuff. Kids, fun and forensics I don’t know about that . . . but have you thought about switching to decaf? “Marijuana is the gateway drug to homicide in our community and across our state, and people need to start recognizing that.” – 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May, according to KKTV UPDATE: National Law Enforcement Museum NATIONAL SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIATION GLOBAL CENTER FOR PUBLIC SAFETY WWW.SHERIFFS.ORG/GCPS The Global Center for Public Safety provides professional development, leadership training and resources to increase and strengthen the impact of individuals in middle and senior level management across all law enforcement disciplines. Court Security Jail Operations Homeland Security Leadership Community Policing