There are no secrets on social media.
That was Detective Constable Warren Bulmer’s message to West Hill Collegiate Institute students at the #DontBFooled event featuring dramatic presentations, quizzes and speeches.
Toronto Police Service Financial Crimes Unit and 43 Division collaborated to host the event on November 1 to kick-off Financial Literacy Month.
Bulmer’s presentation was aimed mainly at Snapchat and Instagram users.
Bulmer said, while most Instagram users have private accounts, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the pictures they are using on their account will not end up somewhere else.
Assigned to the FCU to investigate organized, multi-jurisdictional and complex fraud cases, Bulmer reminded the students their privacy could be compromised when they use a device in a public domain.
Superintendent Mark Fenton, of 43 Division, was in attendance to greet students while Inspector Dave Vickers, of the Financial Crimes Unit, thanked the West Hill school community for inviting Toronto Police to be part of the event.
Sarah Rogers, of Victim Services Toronto, also addressed the students.
The multi-service agency provides crisis-response, trauma and support services to victims of crime and sudden tragic circumstances 24 hours a day. Supervised by crisis counsellors, volunteers provide crisis intervention and referrals, assist on the telephone or attend the scene as requested and also help with fundraising and other community outreach initiatives.
“Because we come at the back end of trauma and crime, we realize we have a duty and responsibility to prevent crime,” said Rogers.
She pointed to the Tear Ending Abusive Relationships (T.E.A.R.) program, which VST has been operating independently for the past nine years.
Geared towards young people enrolled in middle and high schools in the Greater Toronto Area, T.E.A.R. combines media clips and music videos to illustrate the devastating effects and unique dynamics of domestic violence.
“Every Thursday evening, starting at 7 p.m., T.E.A.R. participants have an online Twitter chat where we talk about all of this stuff,” said Rogers, of recognizing signs of an abusive relationship.
Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter, the Member of Provincial Parliament for the riding that the school is in, sent a message that was read by her Community Engagement manager Camesha Cox.
West Hill Collegiate Institute grade 12 student Aarapi Thayananthan was the Master of Ceremony for the event, co-ordinated by Gail Regan and Diane Kelly of the Financial Crimes Unit and Constable Randy Arsenault of 43 Division.