Youngsters are being urged to download a free game to help keep them safe online to mark Safer Internet Day today.
Safer Internet Day is an annual celebration of a safer and better internet, which promotes positive opportunities online while encouraging safe and responsible behaviour. The day is currently promoted in over 100 countries with the support of organisations and industry, parents and teachers, and children and young people and aims to raise awareness of cyber bullying.
Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis launched a mobile game featuring Staffordshire police dogs which aims to help kids stay safe online last August. There has already been over 5,000 downloads which have led to around 9,000 ‘click-throughs’ to safety advice.
The game features police dogs Emma and Jasper, and former police dog and force mascot Kash giving safety advice from The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), Safer Internet Centre and the Facebook Safety Centre.
The game 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”.
