"Criminal activity is gradually moving into the digital world.
Children and young people growing up today are increasingly living
their lives on the internet and via social media, while the police
authorities traditionally have focused on a world revolving aound
physical encounters," says John Forsberg, project manager at the
Police Authority.
"Online crime against children and young people is increasing
every year and there is a great need to focus on early crime
prevention in the digital world".
The four design concepts
Blu
Helps the police start conversations with teenagers through fun,
interactive and informative material, which aims to educate, engage
and build trust among young people and the adults around them about
the digital environment by creating a habit of talking, asking and
acting around online behaviour.
Dome
With the acceleration of the digital age, online crime is
becoming more common among young people. One of the reasons for
this is the large gap between children's and parents' online
behaviour. To help children and parents take responsibility online,
"Blu" offers overview, guidance and insights into the family's
digital behaviour.
Cova.os
A digital service that utilizes intelligent and humanized AI
technology. The system enables preventive cyber security, allows
intuitive crime reporting online and identifies digital hotspots.
The AI hybrid "Ebba" guides and supports groups on social media
against cybercrime before, during and after incidents.
Buffer
Many young people feel a lot of insecurity approaching the
police today, especially around online incidents. There is a need
for a buffer zone between young people and the police that enables
a culture of trust and support - without having to be afraid of
negative consequences.
Responsible online activity
The design project "Police Patrolling the Internet" is part of
the international master's programme in interaction design at
UID.
"We want to help today's parents to educate responsible internet
users," says Kay van den Aker, an IxD1 student at UID.
The twelve students have worked in four project groups and come
from Belgium, India, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, South
Korea, Germany and Austria.
The project is part of a multi-year collaboration between the
Police Authority (Police Region North and the National Operations
Department), police training and Umeå Institute of Design.
"The international design students' unique approach to
co-creation and systems thinking has really opened our eyes. The
police authority needs to innovate change in order to cope with the
transition towards an increasingly digital society. We have a lot
to learn", says John Forsberg.
