Being a police officer has never been an easy job. But over the past year it has become even more dangerous. Statistics show that violence against police is on the rise.
The reasons behind this are for others to debate. The issue is what can be done to help.
At 360Civic we can’t do anything about what happens on the streets in our cities – but we can protect law enforcement against those who wish to harm police officers and their families by accessing their personal information online.
The law specifies that specific individuals be entitled to a greater measure of privacy, so they can continue to perform a vital societal function without fear of reprisal.
360Civic has worked with a number of superior courts throughout California to help enforce this law by protecting judges and their families.
Now we’re ready to extend that same service to law enforcement agencies.
It’s a way to help prevent tragedies that can result from “doxxing,” or publishing personally identifiable information about an individual with malicious intent. In 2015, after an officer-involved shooting in Los Angeles, a man posted the officer’s home address online, as well as his phone number and other personal details including his child’s school location.
People who would do something so dangerous must be deterred. They can’t publish what they can’t find. Our online privacy protection service will track down sites where personal information is available, and formally request its removal. Those sites that refuse to comply will be brought to the attention of the Attorney General’s office.
Find out more about our online security monitoring for police officers
Other Tips to Stay Safe Online
There are also some common sense steps that police officers (and anyone) can take right now that will help keep them safe from outside threats, as well as identity thieves.
Let’s start with the obvious – don’t share information online unless it’s absolutely necessary. Update your passwords often, and use the kind that feature random collections of letters, numbers and punctuation marks so they would be much harder to steal. And don’t open links and attachments in emails until you know who sent them.
For more protection tips, read this blog from our sister company, 360Biz: Free Pie? Sure I’ll Give You My Social Security Number
