Penn State police had quite the scare Thursday: the notorious “G-Bolt Cup Bomber” planted a bomb somewhere on campus!
But never fear, for police officers had some help from some new additions to the force. A set of scrappy young deputies had just come into the office for the first day on the job, and they played a pivotal role in cracking the case.
Thursday was the national “Bring Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day,” which Penn State celebrated by hosting dozens of activities all around campus – including a classic whodunit down at the police station.
“Typically, most times someone encounters a police officer, it’s on bad terms of some kind,” says Sgt. Monica Himes, who helped guide the young detectives. “That’s why it’s important to have positive educational events like this, so we can help kids understand that we’re here to help people.”
Sgt. Himes and Lt. Matthew White took the group of four teenagers and their families back to the briefing room, where they were given a rundown on the fictional facts they had to work with.
Early that morning, someone called in to brag about the bomb they’d placed somewhere on campus. The mystery bomber, like many serial criminals, promised to leave a calling card: a simple cup, emblazoned with a lighting bolt. Thankfully, officers had managed to track the origin of the call to spot on campus near the police station.
One of the kids was already running through the scenario in his head, and immediately suggested evacuating the area. Another suggested bringing out a bomb dog to sniff out the danger.
After donning vests and gloves, the kids headed to the garden of the Millennium Science Complex, in which a “bomb” lay hidden. A beautiful Labrador Retriever named Wynne excitedly accompanied them, eager to put his bomb finding skills to the test.
“It was really cool to learn how dogs are trained to sniff out bombs,” says Park Forest Middle School student Tynan Butler. “It was neat to see him get let loose, and to see how he was rewarded for finding it.”
To reward Wynne for helping find and neutralize the bomb, Lt. White played a rousing game of fetch as the new deputies scoured the scene for clues. They made sure to carefully photograph and document each clue they found – including the cups left behind by the bomber as his signature.
Back in the briefing room, the new deputies got hands on training with fingerprinting the evidence they had collected. As they dusted down the criminal’s calling cards, they found the evidence that could be the break in the case: the bomber’s finger prints, a distinct double whorl pattern.
“Good job, team. You’ve found some great physical evidence to place the suspect at the scene,” Himes said. “You should be proud. We’ve removed a major threat to this university.”
Mount Nittany Elementary School student Nick Cole, who meticulously documented the investigation as a crime scene photographer, says he had fun getting to take part in an investigation, just like in his favorite TV show Criminal Minds.
“At his age, it’s so helpful to get to explore different career ideas and options that the university offers,” says Nick’s mother Sharon Cole, who works in Penn State’s office of student conduct. “Watching Criminal Minds is one thing, but coming out and doing something hands on like this is completely different.”
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