Teens get hands on with forensics camp

By Amy Banton
Amherst New Era-Progress
Published: June 26, 2008

A forensics camp sponsored by the Amherst County Education Foundation and D.A.R.E. program was held at Amherst County High School last week.

Officers with the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office taught the course.

Students in the class learned about crime photography, traffic accident reconstruction, fingerprint lifts with superglue, DNA tests, evidence collection and report writing.

The kids were broken down into teams and competed with each other in such activities as target shooting with 40-caliber paintball guns and investigation techniques.

“Excellence is not a place, it’s a path, and it’s a path that has to be traveled daily,” Dep. Noel De Palma said.

De Palma emphasized the importance of education and asking questions.

“See, what you learn in school, you can play into your job. What we know may be temporary,” he said.

Students also explored the Command and Crime Scene Unit van, used by the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office during real investigations.

Students also drove go-carts with DUI and night vision goggles to gain an understanding of the risks of driving drunk. William Hash came with a police dog from the K-9 unit to demonstrate how that part of the force works.

“I just thought it would be something fun to do over the summer,” Sara Pilat, 13, said.

Pilat said she learned that police work is not as easy as it once looked to her.

When working on the tire casts, Officer Louis Goldman said the mold takes at least two hours to dry. Things move a lot slower than it would on the show “CSI,” he said.

“It doesn’t work like you see on TV,” Goldman said.