What’s in like to stay in jail? How does a SWAT team enter a room? What’s the proper way to hold a gun? Why is wearing safety belts important?
Those were some of the questions kids got answers to during the third and final day of Camp HERO (Honor, Excellence, Respect, Opportunity) on Friday, which was Law Enforcement Day. The three-day camp for kids ages 8-13 started Wednesday at the county fairgrounds with EMS Day, followed by Firefighter Day on Thursday.
Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Sgt. Doug Light said Friday started out with a testimonial from an individual that had gone through community corrections and work release.
“He just shared his story of how many sheriff’s office employees had impacted his life in a positive way, which was really, really cool,” Light said.

Warsaw Police Department gave a presentation on drones, and then the annual Camp HERO photo was taken. The kids spell out the word hero for the picture taken by a drone. Down by the lakeshore, dive teams from the Warsaw Police Department, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory and Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office put on a demonstration.After lunch, the rotations began. At one station, kids got to learn what it was like to be in jail. Another station used golf carts to simulate driving emergency vehicles through an obstacle course. The KCSO SWAT provided a demonstration in the beef barn of how they enter a room when serving a warrant or apprehending a suspect. In the swine barn was a firearms demonstration where campers got to shoot airsoft guns at targets.
The Indiana Sheriff’s Association provided the Seat Belt Convincer that showed kids what a crash at just 10 mph felt like and why it’s always important to wear a seat belt in a vehicle.

After the rotations, the day was set to end with graduation, a cookout and a Touch-A-Truck. Light said they’d have different vehicles from all over the county that the kids could take a look at.“If A+ is good, this was an A++. So it’s been great, the weather’s been great,” Light said of this year’s Camp HERO. “We’ll finish this one and start planning for the next.”
If anyone wants to support or donate for future Camp HEROs, email Cpl. Justin Smith at [email protected] or contact Smith or Light through the KCSO.