Criminals beware, by the end of this week there's going to be almost 40 new and ambitious detectives who know how to analyze a crime scene.

These new detectives, ages 9 to 12, are training four hours a day at Detective Camp at Bismarck State College. They are learning how to be good witnesses, collect evidence, follow the law and prosecute criminals. When they're not busy solving crimes, they are touring the police department, the jail, the courthouse and the judges' chambers.

Already they are making friends with the drug canine unit and meeting members of the SWAT team and viewing equipment used during SWAT call-outs.

The weeklong Detective Camp is co-sponsored by the Bismarck Police Department and BSC. There are two four-hour sessions a day.

This is the sixth year the camp has been training young sleuths. When the camp first started, there was only one class. Last year they added another class, and Jeff Azure, a Bismarck school resource officer, said the demand is still increasing.

Azure is teaching the class along with Youth Resource Officer Kyle Gebhardt and youth worker Teresa Carrigan.

During the week the students also will be working on public speaking.

"If they want to be an attorney or a police officer, they need the self-confidence to present before the court," Azure said.

The young sleuths are more interested in learning how to take finger and shoe prints.

On Monday, Samantha Baumgartner, 9, said she wants to write in a little book, wear a long coat and hat and carry a magnifying glass just like the detectives do.

Landon Jochim, 9, was excited to learn about what a detective does and thought it was pretty cool when Officer Roger Becker brought in his drug dog Shadow. The instructors hid marijuana under the garbage cans in the classroom and the students stared in awe when Shadow quickly knocked the cans over to get the drugs.

"It's cool because he can find the drugs so quickly," said Landon. He was even more surprised at how friendly Shadow was.

After he had found the drugs, Becker walked Shadow around the room and let the students pet him.

"I thought he was going to bite me, but he's a cool dog," Landon said.

Detective Camp will reach its climax on Friday when the young detectives present a case in court. They will be acting as police officers, jurors, a judge, prosecutor and defense attorney.

They'll have to present evidence and give testimony to convict the right criminal.

Family and friends are welcome to join the detectives on Friday for the case.

(Reach reporter Kayla Cogdill at 250-8251 or kaylacogdill@bismarcktribune.net.)