Feeling lonely because you’re alone at home? Don’t post that on Facebook.
Being discerning about what one posts on social networking sites was the No. 1 advice policemen gave a group of teenagers as the law enforcers conducted a community immersion program at a Quezon City high school last week.
As part of their police Public Safety Junior Leadership Course, 27 police officers gave lectures at the Judge Juan Luna High School in Barangay Bungad last Aug. 28, including on how to prevent being victimized by cybercrimes.
Most of the police officers’ advice to the Grade 9 students who attended the session centered on actions to avoid getting victimized online, especially on social networking site Facebook.
One of the lecturers, a Police Officer 3 assigned to the National Capital Region Police Office’s Internal Affairs Service, went so far as to advise the students to make their profiles private, use code names instead of their actual names on their Facebook profiles, and to change their passwords weekly.
The policeman, who declined to be identified by name in a followup interview for lack of authorization to speak to the media, explained he was simply cautioning students against giving “information to those with criminal minds.”
“The root of crimes can now be on Facebook, where information is openly given. Those with criminal minds can monitor you there. For example, posting something like ‘Feeling lonely. Alone at home’; can give criminals ideas,” the policeman said.
Change passwords
On weekly password changes, while the lecturer admitted it may seem excessive, he said it would make much sense for those who use public computers to access the Internet.
“Most of the students’ concerns were about being hacked. We asked them where they usually access the Internet. They said in Internet shops. But there are computer programs or keyboards that can save your password even if you log out. So it’s better if they change their passwords weekly,” the policeman pointed out.
The police officers also reminded the students that should they fall victim to hacking or “cyberbullying” or online identity theft, they can actually report these as crimes to the police.
“They can report it to the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group in Camp Crame, or any police station which can forward it to the group. The unit is not that well-known yet because it started only last year, so we are also informing the public that that this unit exists,” said one of the lecturers, a policewoman assigned to the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management.
Aside from cybercrime prevention, the team assigned to the Juan Luna High School also gave lectures to the students on bomb awareness, disaster preparedness, fire prevention and the Anti-Bullying Act.
Team leader SPO1 Napoleon Moaje of the Malabon police station, and assistant team leader SPO1 Luisito Ubias of the Quezon City Police District told the Inquirer, the lectures were part of a four-day community immersion program under their four-month mandatory Public Safety Junior Leadership Course organized by the national police headquarters.
The 54 police officers who took part in the program came from various units and regions nationwide.
Judge Juan Luna High School principal Lucia Herrera welcomed the police immersion program at her school.
“This way, the police gain the trust of the community. The students, who may be scared of authority figures, now know they can approach the police for help,” Herrera said.
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