Kdcop’s Weblog

I just wanted to thank Healthy Lifestyle Choices for bringing me to New Orleans to speak to the students and educators.

I am back in NJ now:-)

Great night at the hotel. I am very impressed about the professionalism and helpfullness of the staff, especially the late night crew. Looking forward to speaking with the kids of New Orleans today as well as the Healthy Lifestyle Choices gang.

Raining, flash floods and a tornado warning……Wish it could have been nice.

You have to check out this link. Utah schools have introduced a Web site that allows students to anonymously report bullies. This idea, although very basic actually is genius.

This website along with a company called plusprogram.org would be a great match.

Please copy and paste the link below then after reading please comment about it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081014/ap_on_re_us/bullies_internet

Hey KDCOP fans what’s up? Since I haven’t blogged in a while I figured I would update you on everything that has been going on and it is really exciting. I have been asked by DARE of NJ to travel around the State and train DARE Officers about internet safety. This partnership is great since I highly respect the DARE program and what all the officers are doing to keep our kids safe.

My next DARE training will be at the Ocean County Police Academy on December 4th at 10AM.

DARE NJ have also asked me to be a featured speaker at the annual DARE convention in Atlantic City’s Bally’s in February of 2010. I am so excited and can’t wait to see everyone.

My book will be available that day for anyone who wants one. The DARE committee was kind enough to purchase a large number in advance and give them out for free to the attendees.

I will be flying to New Orleans on December 7th and 8th to speak to about 100 7th and 8th grade students as well as be the keynote speaker for the Healthy Lifestyle Choices, hlconline.org luncheon.

On the personal side, I will be the new Lieutenant for the Manville Fire Department and I am very excited to lead a great group of hard working firefighters.

Went fishing today for Porgy and Sea Bass on Atlantic Star out of Atlantic Highlands. Was not disapointed AT ALL……..Tons of Porgy and even got the biggest Sea Bass on the boat. Captain Tom and the crew were AMAZING….

This cop is rediculous. I mean I used to grab a cup of coffee while on patrol but I would at least try to pay for it first. The management just said go ahead. I would usually leave more money on the counter then the cup was worth.

He prolly thought he was well liked by the manager and staff……..I would think not:-)

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07202009/news/regionalnews/dunkin_cop_is_a_munchkin_mooch_180330.htm

I agree 100% with this decision and the article. Although it was extremely inappropriate and a tragedy, the legal system needs to catch up to technology. Law Enforcement and Prosecutors need to take a proactive approach with internet/cyber laws.

On the flip side…….That mother should be ashamed of herself for what she did and is basically an immature CHILD. Why on earth would a grown woman hurt the feelings of a 13 year old girl and tease her enough to the point of suicide? GROW UP LORI DREW….

Read the article below.

The ruling reveals the limits of the law in cracking down on the growing problem of bullying online.
By Michael B. Farrell | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
and Tracey D. Samuelson | Contributor
from the July 2, 2009 edition

San Francisco and Boston – The Missouri mom whose Internet hoax prompted a 13-year-old girl to commit suicide was acquitted Thursday, though the judge said the ruling would not be final until he put it in writing – hinting he could still change his mind.

The case was being closely watched by legal experts nationwide. It is one of the first to define how law enforcement might prosecute crimes related to the growing issue of cyberbullying.

During the trial, prosecutors said Lori Drew used the MySpace social networking site to create a fictitious online profile of a young man who flirted with Megan Meier. Megan killed herself after the fake boy said the world would be better off without her. Prosecutors suggested that Ms. Drew – along with her daughter and a coworker – created the profile to see if Megan was backstabbing her daughter.

Prosecutors had asked for the maximum sentence – 3 years in jail and $300,000 fine, but a Los Angeles jury decided in November that Drew was guilty only of three misdemeanors for accessing computers without authorization.

At Drew’s sentencing Thursday, US District Judge George Wu tossed out Drew’s conviction, essentially saying it would have set too dangerous a precedent. If she was found guilty of this, the judge said, any Internet user who didn’t follow the terms of agreement of a website could suddenly face criminal charges.

He plans to issue his written decision soon, he said.

“The judge did the right thing in a difficult situation,” says Lauren Weinstein, cofounder of People for Internet Responsibility. “In this case, not only were [prosecutors] trying to misappropriate a law, but they had to come all the way to Los Angeles to do it.”

The case was heard in a Los Angeles court because MySpace is based in Beverly Hills, Calif. It drew criticism from the beginning for its questionable legal standing. Missouri refused to file criminal charges against Drew.

But federal authorities were pressured to bring charges against Drew because of the outcry over the case, Mr. Weinstein says. “They felt they had to do something, they had to bend to public opinion. It was a very emotional case, it was a horrible thing,” he says.

But prosecutors overreached in trying to apply the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, says Ryan Calo of the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.

“The statute was created and amended many times to fight computer crimes – crimes like hacking into a database…. It’s not any free ranging way to get at any crime committed through a computer,” he says.

Adds Weinstein: “If you are going to try to prosecute someone, prosecute them under an appropriate law.”

But in 2006 – the time of the incident – there were no clearly defined legal avenues for dealing with cyberbullying. Today, there are several state laws that prohibit some form of malicious abuse online, and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D) of California recently introduced federal legislation against cyberbullying.

Ahead of Thursday’s hearing in Los Angeles, Representative Sanchez issued this statement: “This case sheds light on how our laws need to catch up with new crimes like cyberbullying.”

I just saw a video on my facebook from one of the students at my seminar in Gainsville, FL. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Kids with a spray bottle full of rubbing alcohol spraying it on each other. That’s not the crazy part….They were Spraying it on each other after the alcohol went through a lighter flame…..Yes…. They were dancing around lighting each other of fire for a few seconds. All I can say is ……WHAT IF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STOP!!!

OK so the DARE training was 2 weeks ago:-)

I had the honor of training the new DARE Officers last Wednesday. Attached is a video testimonial from a police officer who saw the presentation. Make sure you visit kdcop.com for more videos.