In a recent community outreach, the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office, alongside Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), shared vital knowledge on internet safety to parents, guardians, and local residents. This initiative, part of Project iGuardian, aimed to arm the community with strategies to protect children from the ever-present threats lurking online, according to the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office.
In the words of Sheriff James Pohlmann, "Protecting our children from online dangers requires a united effort." He emphasized the importance of community engagement to collectively safeguard the digital landscape for children. The event, which took place on January 7 at Nunez Community College in Chalmette, was free to attend, and brought experienced speakers to deeply delve into the threats that our children face in the complex web of the internet, as reported by the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Attendees listened to narratives from Maj. Daniel Bostic and Lt. Michelle Canepa about their collaboration with the St. Bernard Parish School System, ensuring students' security as they navigate digital spaces. Alongside them was Community Relations Officer Lisa Maher, from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Partnership and Engagement in New Orleans, and Child Welfare and Attendance Supervisor Andrea Licciardi from the St. Bernard Parish School Board. Together, these experts presented a front united against cyber threats.
Project iGuardian, which is spearheaded nationally by Homeland Security Investigations, trained its focus on insidious tactics used by online predators, the realities of sextortion, privacy risks from digital devices, and the challenges posed by emerging online platforms. According to the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office's official release, the event was designed to ensure attendees left not just informed, but equipped to actively protect the community's children.
The collaborative effort drew support from the Department of Homeland Security, Nunez Community College, the St. Bernard Parish School Board, and the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office. For those seeking further information on Project iGuardian, the organization has invited the community to make contact via email at [email protected], promising continued collaboration in the fight to keep kids safe online.
