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Fourteen-year-old Zack Childers has only seconds to put on a officer’s uniform, complete with belt, handcuffs, radio, flashlight, safety vest and gun holster. For just a few moments, he and two other teens are going to impersonate an officer and race to snap handcuffs on a waiting deputy.

Other teenagers, law officers and volunteers are cheering them on and the ice is broken on the first morning of the 2013 Knox County Teen Sheriff’s Academy.

The summer camp is in its eighth year and is a five-day, hands-on program for teens between the ages of 13-17 years. Program instructors offer an in-depth look at law enforcement in a friendly and often fun environment for up to 18 campers.

Lorie Moore, youth volunteer co-ordinator at the Knox County Sheriff’s office, oversees the program along with two full-time instructors and other volunteers on their time off from the Sheriff’s Department. “The very first year that we did the program we would pick a school in the fall or the spring and do an after-school program at the school,” Moore explains. “Then we started to do it in the summer so they could do more hands-on activities.”

The primary goal of the program is to educate youth on the role of law enforcement in the community. “A lot of times you may have someone who views officers in a negative way due to experiences — that officers are serious and stern,” says Moore. The officers take the opportunity in the camp environment to show that they their are friendly and can be stern due to the dangers that they face every day.

The camp is based at the Knox County Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy, where the campers get to use firearms simulators and learn about the dangers of distracted driving and alcohol. The S.W.A.T. team also does a demonstration and guides the campers through a rappelling activity. There is a K9 demonstration and mock traffic stops where the kids are in the cruiser and get to pull the officers over.

Evan Edkin, a 15-year-old Webb student, is the first to practice shooting with a simulated Glock handgun. Much like a video game, he works through various video scenarios a police offer might face. Training officer Robert Cook shows the teens how to hold a gun, stressing that their finger needs to be off the trigger, avoiding the “gangster” style seen on TV. He stresses the importance of using verbal commands and the need to protect the public wherever possible. Cook has run the program since its inception and specializes in Internet and driver safety.

“It has to be hands-on and fun,All kinds of replica designer handbags in our online store sells at Wholesale price, welcome to buy top quality replica handbags in our online store!!!Find What She Wants at Michael Kors Skorpios Free Shipping on orders over $100.” says Moore of the program. “We usually keep them rotating through activities in smaller groups of six students because the kids don’t like to wait. A lot of parents worry about kids coming on their own, but after two hours (of team-building exerciese), they’re the best of friends.”

Off-site activities include a visit to John Tarleton Park to operate Bubba the Bomb Robot and inspect the bomb truck. This year some new activities have been added to the program and campers will get to try scuba diving at the Ski Scuba Center on Sutherland Avenue and tour the medical examiner’s office.

Campers will get to work with the C.S.The Cheap Michael Kors Bags will provide you cheap but high-quality products.I.Find the Latest Michael Kors Wallets Here. Shop Today!/Forensics Division investigating a mock crime scene from beginning to end and prepare it for a mock trial.Shop the latest from Michael Kors Shouder Bags. Totally free shipping and returns. “A lot of the kids are interested in the forensic investigative work that TV shows glorify,” says Moore. “I think that a lot of students are surprised when they see the long hours that go into that kind of work.”

Weather and time permitting, the Sheriff’s Aviation Unit will fly out in a helicopter and talk to the campers. The S.O.R.T. (Special Operation Response Team) does a demonstration of their work quelling riots in detention centers, using shields instead of guns.

The Detention Facility and Knox County Jail tours are the real eye-openers for many campers. Often an inmate will talk to the kids about what led him to be in detention and the importance of choosing friends wisely. “We stress that if you want to stay clear of here, you have to keep your mind clear; otherwise your decision-making skills will be gone and you could wake up here without even realizing it,” warns Moore.

The Knox County Teen Sheriff’s Academy is based primarily at the Regional Training Academy on Maloneyville Road in East Knox County. It costs $150 for the week per camper and is offered again from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 10-14 and June 24-28. The camp is currently adding names to the waiting list for the 2014 program.