By John Hollis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
PEACHTREE, Ga. — Cyberspace predators had best beware.
The Peachtree City Police Department has been honored by the Georgia Association Chiefs of Police for its efforts in curbing Internet crimes against children.
The department, under the leadership of Chief James V. Murray, received the Motorola/Dr. Curtis E. McClung Award given annually in recognition of an agency’s use of an innovative program in the pursuit of law enforcement excellence.
The department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Program was lauded at a ceremony in Savannah on Sunday for improving the quality of life in Peachtree City and making the community’s children safer after the arrest and prosecution of 20 Internet predators.
Those arrested have included a school superintendent, two youth ministers, an engineer, a Web designer, a golf pro and business owners, the GACP said.
“The Peachtree City Police Department and the other partners in this creative program can take great pride in knowing that they have protected many children,” said GACP President Hubert Smith.
The program dates to late 2001, when the Peachtree City Police Department teamed with the Griffin Judicial Circuit’s district attorney’s office. Officers were sent to training programs regarding crimes against children, where they learned the latest chat room lingo and computer technology, as well as the constitutional issues regarding monitoring the Internet.
The program’s first arrest came in February 2003.
Copyright 2007 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution