High school students learn from police at forensic investigations camp at Indiana University Northwest
Investigators with the Gary, Indiana, Police Department are used to encountering crime scenes — but they aren't in the habit of creating a fake one for students most of the time.
But at a unique summer camp at , they did just that this week.
Crime scene tape was strung up around a room, along with footprints, handprints, and a gun at the scene. Chairs and desks were tipped over, and evidence markers of the type used for shell casings were placed around the room.
There was also a body lying flat with blood on the shirt and forehead. But this body belonged to a dummy.
While crime scene was not real, there was still a mystery to solve.
Lucy Trust was among the students working to solve the mystery in that room on Thursday. She does not get grossed out easily — saying she does "fine" with such scenes.
Trust traveled to Indiana University Northwest in Gary all the way from Pittsburgh.
"I am learning a lot," she said.
The 17-year-old was one of more than a dozen high school students enrolled in a four-day forensic investigations camp at the university.
"We don't do this every day, nope," said Gary police Lt. Brian Farrow. "But it's fun."
Crime scene investigators from the Gary Police Department set up the mock crime scene, and walked the students through a thorough investigation.
"It's really way more tedious than I thought," said Trust.
The teens learned to take crime scene photos, bag evidence, and uncover blood spatter using UV light.
"I really enjoy all of the hands-on work and meeting like all of the professionals," Trust said.
The camp is free and open to all.
"If they have a passion for it at this young age, they're going to very successful in life," said Farrow.
IU Northwest associate professor Monica Solinas-Saunders said the university is hoping to recruit more students to the camp — and she is especially proud to see so many young women.
"If we recruit more women, then we might be able to solve more of the crimes that are affecting young women, especially — as we know, sexual assault and rape are crimes that are often not reported because the prosecution is so difficult," said Solinas-Saunders.
For some, the camp could be the first step in a career.
"If I'm going to be in the FBI and I'm going to be an agent, this is part of it, and I need to learn it, and it's very interesting," said Trust, "and I love it."
It is a good reason to return to the scene of a crime, as it were.
