At some point, almost every kid wants to be a cop. And this week they got the chance at the South Bend Police Department's Youth Academy.

The FOP hosted the camp, which taught kids what it's like working a crime scene investigation and using different forensic techniques.

It was a week full drills and lessons, to get children ready for a possible future on the force. In a world inundated with crime shows and cop movies, organizers say the camp was a good way to show kids what it's really like to serve and protect.

“I think our end goal is to give the kids a little bit better understanding about what the police department does,” says Sgt. Patrick Hechlinski of the South Bend Police Department. “You know, they watch a lot of this stuff on TV and, they see crimes solved in an hour, but there's a lot to what we do, collecting evidence and gathering, and taking it through the system.”

Some of the lessons this week included finger printing, and a hands-on investigation of a fake crime scene.