Parents are being encouraged to download a mobile game on smartphones and tablets given to their kids at Christmas to help keep them safe online.
The ‘Kash Dash’ app, which was designed by the Office of Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, features Staffordshire’s police dogs catching a fleeing crook.
The game has had over 4,000 downloads as well as prompting over 9,000 clicks on websites giving safety advice such as The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), Safer Internet Centre and the Facebook Safety Centre.
The game, which was launched in August, can be downloaded for free on Android and Apple via or by searching ‘KASH DASH’ on the online stores.
Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis, said: “We must find ways to better connect youngsters with information on how to stay safe online. Rather than asking them to find their way to us this game takes vital safety messages to them using technology which is familiar.
“We need to be smarter in how we engage and this new game seems to be working. It’s fun but includes serious messages and is perfect to download onto new smartphones and tablets given as gifts to children at Christmas.”
Chief Constable Jane Sawyers said: “Online safety is increasingly a major concern for parents and educating children in this area is a priority for the force.
“Police dogs are always popular with pupils when they visit schools as part of our work in local communities so combining them with online safety messages is a winning combination.”
