The Scene of the (Mock) Crime

THE SCENE OF THE (MOCK) CRIME

By Danielle Nyland

Teenagers walk through the door at West Sides in Waynesburg, laughing and joking, ready for a couple hours of fun with their friends. Nasema Wilson makes sure the students are signed in at the door. Nasema used to participate in the youth gatherings while in high school; she now volunteers to help with Communities That Care events. The students grab a snack and some gather around the tables, while others cluster on a stage full of comfy chairs, talking about an upcoming dance. But all of them are anticipating the upcoming activity.

Communities That Care is a grant-funded coalition that began in 2000, under the County’s Human Services branch. It was revitalized in 2015 to what it is now – a community to reduce the risks and increase the protection of youth in Greene County. The group consists of a mobilizer from the County and a board of representatives from different sectors of the community, including law enforcement, drug and alcohol prevention, mental health professionals, business owners, parents, youth and more.

“We work to provide the youth with positive alternative activities,” says Lori Lhota, the current mobilizer for CTC. “The monthly youth gatherings are a free, healthy, safe and fun alternative to the other options out there.”

“We try to do different activities every month, but the mock crime scene is one that we bring back every year. The students love it,” Lori adds. “This is our fourth year for it. In the past, we combined it with a tour of the University lab and completed a workshop there.”

The mock crime scene got its start through University Forensic Science professor Mike Cipoletti, who helped get his whole team involved. Each year, Lori meets with the President of the Forensic Science Club to coordinate the event. The University students put together a scenario for the students to work though and volunteer their services during the event, overseeing the scene and acting as witnesses.

“I’m really glad that Lori reached out to us again to lead this event,” says WU senior Alisha Lesko, the Forensic Science Club President. “I did it as a freshman and it was really great. It’s a really fun outreach program to be involved in.”

“We love working with the University on our projects,” Lori says.

“They provide positive role models for our youth. They’re safe people they can talk to and bond with. They can help them set clear goals for their futures.”

As the event starts, the students gather around the TV, where Alisha leads a presentation about the dangers of drug use. After the presentation, she provides a backstory for the mock crime scene and the group of around fifteen youth are broken into three smaller

groups, each with their crime scene investigation gear and crime scene to investigate. The students get straight to work, interviewing witnesses and checking their scenes for evidence. There’s lots of laughter and giggles, but the teens throw themselves into the work, coming together to solve the mystery of their crime scene.

For more information about Communities That Care, please contact their new mobilizer, Donna Calvert at dcalvert@co.greene. pa.us.