The Porter County Sheriff’s Dept. will once again host an exhibit at the Porter County Fair, which begins July 21 and runs through July 30. A number of new displays will be featured at the Sheriff’s tent, many of which children (and their parents) will enjoy.

Cutout figurines will allow children to transform themselves into a Sheriff’s Officer, a police canine unit, an officer driving a squad car (mom or dad can be a prisoner in the back seat), or an inmate. The cutouts were created by inmate Chuck Romine, and the artwork was done by Julie Fodness. A mock jail will again be at the tent, where visitors can don jail clothing and be inmates for photo opportunities. Also new at the fair will be a ball toss contest, where children of each age group can compete to win a major league baseball signed by former Chicago Cubs player Mickey Morandini. The contest will utilize a police radar unit and display. The boys and girls who throw the fastest in each age group during the fair will win the prizes. Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras to the Police tent.

The tent also features photos of a number of persons wanted on Porter County arrest warrants and several Crimes of the Week for the Porter County Crime Stoppers program. Equipment displayed will include a Sheriff’s squad car, motorcycle, and police bicycle. The Valparaiso Police Department will also feature several police vehicles in the tent, including the department’s PT Cruiser, and both Sheriff’s and Valparaiso officers will be available to talk to children. The Porter County Fire Association and the Porter County Sheriff’s Dept. Parking Police will have displays.

The attached photo shows Sheriff’s Dept. interns Julie Fodness (left) and Lisa Brocksmith working on one of the displays. The college-student interns spent many hours assisting in creating the displays in the Sheriff’s tent.

Posted 7/20/2005