As of today, Oksana Luik enters service as third web constable of Police and Border Guard Board, being tasked with Russian social networks, raising Russian speaking population’s awareness of Internet security and counselling people in various matters of safety.
To start with, Ms Luik plans to engage in sites most popular among youth such as Facebook and VKontakte.
According to law enforcement departmenthead Tarmo Miilits, it is vital that people get professional help and advice from police forces.
A web constable is a police officer working on the Internet, responsible for answering people’s letters and notices submitted via the Internet, as well as training both children and grown-ups in various aspects of Internet security.
People mainly contact web constables via Facebook, family and children related sites like perekool.ee, lapsemure.ee, and E-mail. Some issues are solved by good counsel; others are forwarded to regional police departments for information or to be dealt with.
Issues vary greatly, the majority having to do with fraud, theft, insults, defamation, threatening, and traffic. The age of people contacting web constables ranges from 7 to 70 years.
Up to February 2013, two web constables were employed by Police and Border Guard Board: Maarja Punak and Andero Sepp. During 2012, web constables handled 5,441 inquiries and pieces of information, giving over 40 lectures on cyber-crime and Internet security.