Children’s Safety Program
(Presented with the support of McGruff the Crime Dog)
This program is designed for children between the ages of four and eight. A Deputy Sheriff and McGruff the Crime Dog cover safety tips such as dealing with strangers, gun safety, home safety, telephone use and bicycle safety. There is no charge for this safety program and it is available to schools, daycares, church groups and other organizations that work with children.
Reservations for the McGruff Safety Program can be made by emailing communitypolicing@harfordsheriff.org. Reservations should be made as far in advance as possible due to the popularity of this program.
Bike Rodeos
Harford County Sheriff’s Office Community Policing Unit conducts bike rodeos on a regular basis throughout the biking season. Bike rodeos are designed to teach kids biking safety skills and build confidence through lecture and hands on learning. If you would like to schedule a bike rodeo for your organization or group, contact the Community Policing Unit Office nearest you. At least six weeks notice is requested. Scheduling is on a first come— first serve basis.
Cyberbullying
What is Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is willful and repeated harm inflicted through technology facilitated means, such as:
- Instant Messaging (IM)
- Text Messages
- Mobile Phones
- Online Gaming
- Defamatory websites
- Sharing of explicit photos
What Can You Do?
- Note the bully’s screen name and messenger service
- Ignore the harassing message; don’t respond to the message
- Use the Block/Ignore feature
- Consider reporting the bullying to the police
- Help protect others from cyberbullying
- Refrain from making negative comments to others online or in real life
What Can Parents Do?
Remember, Loss of Privacy: Anything you put online can be accessed by anyone with an Internet connection. If cyberbullying is occurring at a school, report it immediately to the administrator and the School Resource Officer. Educate your children on the real dangers of sexting, social media and the internet, and posting explicit photos online. It can be very difficult to remove these images from the web. Most of these websites originate from outside the U.S. and adopt rules and disclaimers that attempt to absolve them of responsibility for the postings.
Report abuse to the website itself, when and where feasible. A simple search for the website name and the word abuse usually yields a link for reporting misuse.