Police Department

Dangerous Trends of Youth & Cell Phones

There are several news reports of an increase in police cases where teenagers exposed each other to inappropriate images via cell phones, often generated by their own hands. Utah is reported with several other states as having a particularly sharp increase of reported cases.  Some cases are not isolated to a few individuals but involve large amounts of a student body attending a school.  Several cases have resulted in devastating consequences to the individuals involved.  Teenagers of all backgrounds seem prone, from the most broken of homes to the most affluent and religious. There are several online resources aimed at helping teachers, clergy, and parents engage in prevention and combat the increasing problem, foremost being the Crimes Against Children Research Center from the University of New Hampshire, unh.edu/ccrc. We urge all parents to communicate openly and be involved with their children, check internet history, hard drives, memory sticks, and cell phones for inappropriate media or communication that may have taken place.  If anyone involved with youth suspects any such activity, please call the Washington City Police at (435) 986-1515, and together we can address the problem before it becomes a tragedy. Thanks for all your support and teamwork in enhancing the quality of life we all enjoy.

-Police Department

WashingtonCity.org/police