The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting their second annual S.O.S. Camps, “Sheriff’s Office Summer” Camps. "The fundamental purpose of the youth day camps is to connect with children in the community with an objective of creating an interactive environment to promote a better understanding about the law enforcement profession," officials said.
The camps will run in week-long increments for two weeks from 9 a.m.-noon and focus primarily on the operations of the sheriff’s office and other first-responder agencies.
During the week-long "high-energy" classes, participating children will be involved with various exhibits and demonstrations which include: • Tour of B.C.S.O.’s facility • K-9 Demonstration • How to Report a Crime • Crime-Scene Gathering • Operations within the Judicial Complex • Fingerprinting • Basic First-Aid Training • Overview of the Operations of the Ambulance & Fire Truck apparatuses.
Upon completion, Sheriff Eric Watson will present participants with a certificate for their participation and completion during a ceremony held with their families.
Dates of the “S.O.S.” camp are July 16-20 for grades sixth, seventh and eighth, and July 23-27 for grades fourth, fifth and sixth.
Applications can be obtained on Bradley County Sheriff Office’s website, www.bradleysheriff.com, or by coming to the administrative offices, 2290 Blythe Ave. Parents or guardians of children from fourth through eighth grades are encouraged to fill out an application and return the completed application to the receptionist at the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office. Registration deadline for both camps is Thursday, July 5 and slots are limited for these camps.
Sheriff Watson stated, “Our primary goal is to create a positive interaction between the kids attending camp and the deputies who lead the camp programs. We have found from experience that children tend to have more respect and understanding for a police officer through positive contact with officers through community programs like our kid’s camp this July.
These free camps will incorporate a variety of sheriff’s office personnel such as courtsecurity, correctional officers, patrol deputies, detectives and crime-scene technicians.
Our agency is excited about implementing another program that will strengthen our agency’s relationship with this community. The sheriff’s office constantly seeks methods to engage residents, and these camps provide our agency an avenue to engage children within this community.”
Further inquiries about the “S.O.S.” camps should be directed to Co-Director Lieutenant Chip Bryant at cbryant@bradleycountytn.gov or Co-Director,Administrative Assistant Janet Conley at jconley@bradleycountytn.gov.