Sheriff plans to send 12 kids from Orleans to summer camp

Posted 30 March 2021 at 9:01 pm

ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is planning to send 12 kids from the county to a summer camp on Keuka Lake, Sheriff Chris Bourke announced today.

The week-long camp is the New York State Sheriffs’ Institute Summer Camp in Yates County.

The camp is expected to accommodate 840 boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 12 from across New York State this summer. The campers attend at no charge. The costs are covered from the financial support of the Honorary Members of the Sheriffs’ Institute.

Jeannine Larkin, supervisor of foster care at Orleans County Department of Social Services, and her staff have been able to identify 6 boys and 6 girls in the county to attend the camp.

The Sheriffs’ Summer Camp provides a solid recreational program while stressing basic values and good citizenship. Campers participate in typical camp activities, like archery, sailing, boating, hiking, and talent shows. They also experience technical and safety demonstrations by deputy sheriffs such as scuba diving, K-9 handling, bicycle safety and boating safety.

The Sheriffs’ Institute was established in 1979 with the mission to assist the office of the sheriff in advancing education in the criminal justice community, preventing juvenile delinquency, and supporting victims of crime and their families.

Sheriff announces membership drive

The New York State Sheriffs’ Institute will begin its annual Honorary Membership drive in Orleans County within the next 10 days, according to Sheriff Bourke.

The New York State Sheriffs’ Institute was established in 1979. It is a not-for-profit corporation, tax exempt organization, and contributions to the Institute are tax deductible.

While the Sheriff’s Office is a unit of county government, many of the concerns of sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies are best addressed on a statewide level. The Sheriffs’ Institute provides centralized training programs and services for all Sheriffs’ Offices, where those programs and services would be unavailable or impractical on a single county basis.

The flagship program of the Sheriffs’ Institute is the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp for children who are in lower-income homes and wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to attend camp.

“In these difficult economic times we cannot forget our youth who will not have the opportunity for a summer camp experience or a summer vacation,” Bourke said.

In addition, the Sheriffs’ Institute operates a scholarship program that provides one scholarship to each of New York State’s Community College’s Criminal Justice Programs. This program is designed to help attract the best and the brightest to the criminal justice vocation.

For more information about the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp and other Sheriffs’ Institute Programs, visit the website, www.sheriffsinstitute.org. Any persons interested in supporting the efforts of the New York State Sheriffs’ Institute by becoming an Honorary Member can visit the web site to download an application.