While he may not have the same production values behind him as an episode of “CSI” or “Law and Order,” Dowagiac Police officer James Kusa still knows how to capture an audience, judging by his demonstration at Southwestern Michigan College Wednesday morning.

Pulling out a bottle of magnetic powder from his toolbox, the veteran officer showed a group of nearly two dozen area middle school students one of the many “magic tricks” he and other crime scene investigators use to crack otherwise unsolvable cases. Taking a blank sheet of paper that several of the students had placed their hands on moments earlier, Kusa applied a light dusting of the powder on the paper and took a brush to clear it off.

In a few seconds, the once barren paper was littered with the distinct black markings of fingerprints, a sight that pleased the children who surrounded the officer.

The lesson was one of many that Kusa and other Dowagiac officers, along with instructors with the college, will share with the teenage gumshoes this week.

The SMC Educational Talent Search kicked off its 12th annual CSI camp Wednesday, which will run through Friday. More than 20 students, from Dowagiac, Cassopolis, Edwardsburg, Marcellus and Niles (Brandywine), signed up to participate.

On Wednesday, Kusa, joined by fellow Dowagiac officer Matt Behnke, led the students through the basics of crime scene investigation, including how to collect evidence, perform ballistic and forensic tests, and reconstruct crime scenes. On Thursday, the instructors plan to lay out a mock crime scene to put the students’ skills to the test.

The camp ends with a bang on Friday, when members of the Cass County warrant service team perform a demonstration to the students at the Dowagiac Conservation Club.

“The officers show off some equipment that most people have never seen before, so it’s a real treat for the students,” said Kim Luthringer, director of the college’s ETS program.

The students will also get a chance to meet Cass County Sherriff Deputy Tiffany Graves and Nellie the bloodhound, the department’s tracking dog. Following the demonstration at the conservation club, the students will travel to the Cass County Law and Courts Building, where Chief Judge Susan Dobrich will lead the group on a tour of the structure.

The CSI camp is one of several career training programs ETS will offer local students in the coming weeks. In addition to the annual fire camp, which takes place July 24 through 28, the college will host a new agriculture science camp from July 18 through 20. It will also offer several career camps July 10 through 14.

These multi-day educational courses are intended to give students a taste of what it is like to work in these technical fields, and learn more about them from industry professionals, Luthringer said.

“Hopefully the children walk away impressed and with a lot of new knowledge,” she said.

For Dowagiac eighth-grader Maria Meza, this week’s CSI camp has given her a new perspective on the realities of police investigation work. Meza, who is attending the camp for the first time, said she became interested in possibly working in crime scene forensics after watching the many TV shows that dramatize the field.

Kusa’s lessons already taught her a lot about actual police work, and she is ready to see what is in store for the rest of the week, Meza said.

“I want to check out the ‘drunk goggles,’” she said, referring to one of the activities lined up for the week. “They look like a lot of fun to use.”

Another Dowagiac Middle School student, Haleigh Michels, said the camp will help her get in the shoes of her father, Doug, who is a veteran public safety officer with experience working in police, fire and EMS, she said.

“I just want to figure what my dad is saying to me all the time,” Michels joked.

Both girls said they plan to attend the other camps the ETS will offer next month, and are excited to learn more.