Bensalem Police Department Urges Kids to Use Them as ''Myspace'' Friends

by KYW's Brad Segall

Many police departments have web pages on the Myspace social interaction web site, but the Bensalem, Pa. police department is doing something unique in this area to try to prevent criminals from using the Internet to get to children.

More and more kids are using social networks on the computer to meet other people, but police say the Internet is also a superhighway for people who want to get to kids for criminal activity.

Bensalem public safety director Fred Harran (in file photo at right) wants children in the township to request that the police department be listed as one of their friends on Myspace:

“If the kids sign up and request us to be their friend, they’ve got Bensalem police kind of on their site. And if they ever have any problems, all they need to do is click on the message and send us a message and we’ll investigate it.”

He calls it simple crime prevention -- the same way police tell adults to protect their cars with alarms and clubs:

"When you go to their Myspace account and you see the Bensalem police pop up as their number one friend, a pedophile or somebody that’s trying to do some gang recruitment, cyber-bullying, or maybe drug dealing or any other crimes that’s going on on the Internet right now, they’re likely to see the police icon on there and get off the page.”
  
Harran stresses that in no way will they be spying on kids on their pages. He says the department is always adding to its Myspace page (top photo) to make it more attractive for children.