The Fishers Police Department will offer two more sessions on March 11 and April 2. (Photo by WISH-TV)
By CAT SANDOVAL
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
Fishers Police Department on Tuesday, March 3 hosted an internet safety seminar following the disappearance and death of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee.
No children were allowed at the seminar because police wanted to empower parents with the necessary tools, including finding hidden apps and accessing secret photos on cellphones.
Buzbee was a 17-year-old Hamilton Southeastern High School student who was reported missing in early January, sparking a search that garnered national attention. Police later discovered her remains in Perry County, Ohio, prompting an outpouring of support from friends, coworkers, and the community.
Ellison
Police on Tuesday said the threat to children from online predators are very real. Sgt. Angela Ellison said, “Just like we wouldn’t leave our doors and windows wide open at our homes, why would we do that on the internet? And that’s what were doing when we give our kids a device with no parental guidance.”
Fishers police said parents should talk to their kids early about internet safety.
Detectives said they have victims as young as 2 years old.
Ellison said, “Let’s all think back when we were all kids ourselves. We all did something or had something that we just weren’t going to reveal to our parents, and now it’s even more intense because it’s online, and kids think they can hide it. So, regardless of how great you think you’re doing as a parent, how great you think your kids are, that potential is out there.”
Police recommended accepting friend requests only from people they’ve actually met.
Police added that another red flag is to be wary of online friends asking to move conversations to an encrypted messaging app, which makes it harder for authorities to access.
“They can make themselves be or say anything they want that entices us to be friends with them and then bad things happen,” Ellison said.
Ellison said police have had internet safety session for 15 years. No one attended the last session in August, but Tuesday’s turnout was the largest they’ve seen.
Ellison said, “It’s disheartening when we know we’ve done this. We’ve offered this. We’ve been doing this for 15 years offering this type of information and this kind of support to the community for internet safety.”
The next sessions will be 6 p.m. March 11 and April 2 at Fishers Police Department, 4 Municipal Drive.
This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/crime-watch-8/fishers-police-urge-parents-to-prioritize-internet-safety-for-children.
