SMYRNA – For the last 15 years The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office has dedicated itself to the future of Chenango County by reaching out to local children at their summer camp where kids are taught civic virtue, community participation and mutual respect by engaging in fun outdoor activities with emergency service personnel.

“One of the aims of the camp is to have kids interacting with the deputies and emergency staff so that they learn not to fear a firemen or a police officer if they ever need to encounter them in real life. We want to build a relationship of trust so they hopefully learn to engage law enforcement and participate in the ongoings of the community later in life,” said Chenango County Sheriff Ernest R. Cutting.

The Sheriff’s camp is free of charge for area kids ages 9 through 12, and has been in operation for 15 years at Camp Thompson in Smyrna.

For three weeks of the summer Correction’s Sgt. John Trottier said the camp is a place where kids can have fun surrounded by great role models, in a safe and healthy environment.

“We gear a lot of what we do to building a friendly rapport between the kids and between emergency services,” he said.

Trottier, referred to as Sgt. Dude by the kids has been working in with the program for the last 5 years.