Fiscal Note
Any expenditures for this expanded program will be fully offset by donations. No appropriation is required.
Title
Authorizing the Mayor, City Clerk and Chief of Police to accept donations of cash, goods and services for the purpose of addressing the conditions that give rise to public safety issues regarding social networking, cell phones, online gaming, and the Internet (cyber safety).
Body
PREAMBLE
For the past two years, a group of officers from the Madison Police Department have formed a technology committee to develop community presentations covering major topics in cyber safety. This committee has worked collectively with educators, parents, and the community developing problem solving techniques to proactively address the conditions that give rise to public safety issues regarding social networking, cell phones, on-line gaming, and the Internet. Department members have presented at national and state conferences, and to parent teacher organizations and other community groups.
The Department developed a curriculum and offers free monthly classes on these topics to the community. For example, parents wanting to understand Facebook learn how to register for an account, upload photos, search for people, and properly set their families privacy settings. Because of the popularity and demands of the program, the Department created a DVD for distribution nationwide. The DVD in its current form has been distributed statewide to parent teacher organizations, school administrators, and law enforcement agencies.
This past summer the Department worked together in partnership with Middle School U, which offers educational and enrichment classes to middle school students. The students were "sworn in" as "MPD Cyber Detectives" and worked together with the Officers and Detectives from the Department to solve a cyberbullying case. The students expressed such an overwhelming response to their parents and program director that this pilot program will now...
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