Expert Advice from Lt. Joe Laramie

Lieutenant Joe Laramie starts each work week the same way, logging on to his computer and downloading the latest CyberTipline reports sent to his office in Clayton, Missouri from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Washington DC. These reports are filed by Internet Service Providers and people who fear for their safety or the safety of their children, who have been made to feel uncomfortable, targeted or violated while online. It is Lt. Laramie’s job, as the Director of Missouri’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, to make sure these reports are investigated, and if a crime has been committed, the criminal must be stopped.

But protecting children from online predators goes beyond investigating and arresting potential criminals. People need to be educated about the risks the Internet holds, and that’s no small task.

Below are some of Lt. Laramie’s tips to help get the conversation started:

Communicate with kids without lecturing.
Ask what kids are doing when they log on to the Internet, what websites they are visiting, who they chat with. Understand what it is they are interested online, and why.
Keep the lines of communication open… and going.
Education is a process, you can’t teach behavior modification in one sitting. Discuss the issues often, sharing the latest news and information with kids and get a dialogue going.
Learn about the issues.
Do your homework about the latest trends online, and the potential risks they might pose.
Exercise cautious control.
Banning child from using certain parts of the internet allows you to keep them from doing things while they are in your care, custody and control. But you have to remember that the Internet is accessible from friends house, library, and banning is not education. Instead, explain to kids what the dangers might be. What seems obvious to you is not obvious to them. If you haven’t talked to them about how to stay safe, how can you be mad at them if they find themselves in a tough situation online?

Lt. Laramie is constantly on the road, talking about Internet crimes against children and Internet safety on a local, state and national level. The groups he speaks with vary on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. His audience could be fellow law enforcement in the morning, and a class of 5^th graders in the afternoon. But even with that kind of diversity, his ultimate message remains the same: education and communication.

Lt. Laramie’s dedication to keeping kids safe has defined his career. He has been an officer with the Glendale, Missouri Police Department for 27 years, with nearly 25 years of experience in the area of child protection. He is a certified Police Juvenile Specialist through the Missouri Police Juvenile Officers Association and taught D.A.R.E. for 15 years. It was as a D.A.R.E. officer in the year 2000 that he first learned of the growing dangers facing kids online. He attended a workshop in Washington DC., held by NCMEC, outlining some of these issues. He knew there were few resources available for officers in Missouri to turn to to learn more about these types of crimes. His biggest fear was that a child would go missing due to some computer enticement, and no one would know how to investigate the case. At this time, the ICAC program was still fairly new, and looking to expand. Lt. Laramie worked with several organizations around the state to obtain funding for an ICAC office for Missouri. In 2000 he received grant money to get the program started. Now, Missouri’s ICAC task force has grown to more than 30 affiliate agencies.

Lt. Laramie’s years with D.A.R.E have given him the tools he needs to relate to his audiences, especially children. The information he is sharing is vital, and has to be molded to fit each age group. But, most importantly, this information has to mean something to the children themselves. To achieve that goal, Lt. Laramie takes special care to break down barriers with his audience. He never wants to be seen as the “Internet cop, coming to tell kids to off the Internet.” This is why his message of education and communication is so important. But, this can be a difficult conversation to have, whether you are a parent reaching out to your child or an educator trying to make a difference in your classroom.

In addition to his role as Director of Missouri’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Lt. Laramie also serves as Co-Chair of the Operations Committee for the National ICAC Working Group. He is the recipient of the 1999 Missouri American Legion Law and Order Award and the 2004 Missouri Bar Association Liberty Bell Award. Lt. Laramie holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Bellevue University , and is a 2004 graduate of the FBI National Academy .

To contact Lieutenant Joe Laramie:

Missouri ICAC
227 S. Central
2^nd Floor
St. Louis, MO 63105
314-889-4282
jlaramie@glendalemo.org