[LINK] the filter and where the money should really go

[Jan Whitaker]

[This story demonstrates why the net filter is bad public policy in 
terms of where funds really need to go.]


Cyber-crime cases ignored by untrained police

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/cybercrime-cases-ignored-by-untrained-police-20100306-ppth.html


CARMEL EGAN

March 7, 2010

PARENTS of children targeted by paedophiles and bullies online or via 
mobile phones are being fobbed off at their local police stations by 
officers untrained to deal with cyber-crimes, according to two former 
high-profile members of Victoria Police.

They say Victoria is lagging behind other states and territories when 
it comes to tackling cyber-crime because the police are unaware of 
which laws apply to the growing menace of online bullying, 
''grooming'' of children for sexual exploitation, stalking and 
''sexting'' (sexual texting).

''I would average one call every 14 days from a mother trying to 
report cyber-bullying or grooming [to police] only to be told 'it's 
not our problem' and to go to the federal authorities,'' said former 
cyber-safety project officer Susan McLean. ''Most Victorian police 
officers have no knowledge of these crimes or how to deal with them.''

Using mobile phones to stalk or to harass is a crime under the 
Australian Telecommunications Act, a Commonwealth law. Victorian 
police can conduct investigations into such complaints but lack the 
expertise to do so, Ms McLean said.

Her concerns are echoed by former deputy commissioner Bob Falconer, 
who said Victoria Police had no policies and frontline police had no 
instructions on how to deal with such incidents.

''Unless you give police some operation policy or standard guideline, 
they have no way of dealing with it,'' Mr Falconer said. ''They can 
take some action but they need to be told that.''

Ms McLean, who now runs her own-cyber safety business, was appointed 
Victoria's first ''cyber-cop'' in 2006, with responsibility for 
raising public awareness of internet dangers and recommending 
strategies to tackling cyber-crime. She was sent to the US on a study 
tour to gather information on how police in other jurisdictions were 
tackling this form of crime.

On her return, the former senior constable made several 
recommendations to Victoria Police, including the establishment of a 
specialised unit to tackle internet crimes against children.

But she quit the force in frustration in 2007 after her 
recommendations were ignored.

''I was a unit of one,'' said Ms McLean. ''I got out because nothing 
was happening. Victoria Police are playing catch-up. Cyber-crime is 
not a focal point. It was all in the too hard basket.

''They will tell you there is an e-crime unit, but this is for 
high-level fraud, stolen identities, major crime. It is not about 
cyber-bullying, stalking, harassing. There is no expertise and they 
don't see it as their problem.''

Queensland and Western Australia have established specialised 
cyber-crime units.

Dr Ian Warren, a criminologist and cyber-crime specialist at Deakin 
University, says police at state and federal levels need a taskforce 
to deal with this fast-emerging criminal behaviour.

"They are incredibly strapped for resources to deal with this, and 
training is difficult because it is just emerging," Dr Warren said.

"We need better training and warnings of how to deal with cyber-crime 
in the police agencies and better collaboration to break down 
boundaries between agencies,'' he said.

A spokesman for Victoria Police said the force took cyber-crime 
seriously and aimed to educate the public, particularly parents and 
children, about the dangers of the internet, through lectures and brochures.

The police did not respond to questions about training or whether the 
force planned to set up a cyber-safety unit.

But according to Mr Falconer and Ms McLean, officers are able to act 
on such issues by referring the complaints to the sex crimes unit.

The federal criminal law imposes a maximum penalty of three years' 
imprisonment for using the internet to menace, harass or cause 
offence to another user.

According to Dr Warren, penalties apply in cases where a ''reasonable 
person'' would consider the alleged behaviour to be offensive, which 
could extend to any socially questionable content such as depictions 
of drug use, sexual violence, strong language or blood and gore.



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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