Denmark's online police - 5th July 2023

In Denmark, police officers are now online playing video games like Counter-Strike. They're also using Facebook, TikTok, Twitch and other social media. They're trying to create a safe online space for users.

Officers wear their uniforms online in the same way they do on the streets. They'd like users to feel safe to tell them about any problems online.

Officer Jeppe Rimer Torup connects with young people online.

Jeppe Rimer Torup: "And when we're online, they can see us as police officer wearing the uniform. And then they can, maybe if we, for example, is playing Counter-Strike, we say, hey, we need, we are two officers playing, we need three volunteers from the chat, you can come, come play with us. So slowly, we have been making our, you know, increase in followers. Right now we have around 23,000 followers on Twitch."

Thousands of people follow the online officers. The police usually message young gamers: 'If you want to talk to us or ask questions - we're here'. They've received 5,200 crime reports from young gamers.

The increase in online crime during Covid was huge. Young people weren't with their friends and criminals targeted them. They stole money and digital items. The online police team was created because of this.

Sisse Birkebaek leads the team.

Sisse Birkebaek: "The criminality is, is going online as well. We see a lot of grooming and trying to harass the youngsters, trying to, to take money from the youngsters, stealing skins in the gaming community as well."

When people know that the police are online, they feel safe. Birkebaek says that parents are happy about this too.

Sisse Birkebaek: "When we tell them about what our main target is, is just to be present and try to, to make it a safer place in the internet, especially for, for youngsters, then they are actually quite happy about it, especially the parents."