NCJ Number
206919
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 52 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2004 Pages: 26-27
Date Published
August 2004
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article describes two software packages that are available for download: a video game that instructs youth about the dangers of interacting with deceptive predators on the Internet and a database that contains the properties of and protections for hazardous chemicals, many of which are commonly used in manufacturing.
Abstract
The video game entitled "Missing" centers on "Zack," a computer-savvy teen who is naive about the dangers of "chatting" with strangers on the Internet. In his Internet surfing, which is not monitored by his busy parents, Zack encounters "Fantasma," the creator of a Web site called "California Dreaming," which portrays a life in that State that is filled with endless days of sunning, surfing, and skateboarding. Fantasma sends Zack a credit card number (stolen) and tells him to use it to buy a new laptop computer. Fantasma then convinces Zack to get on a bus and travel to California, where he will experience a life of contentment and excitement he has never known. The game player is challenged to analyze the hints unintentionally left by Zack in order to determine where Zack and Fantasma are located. "Missing" is part of an educational kit produced by LiveWires Design in Canada. It is being distributed in the United States by the High Tech Crimes Consortium in Tacoma, WA. The second software package is called the Palmtop Emergency Action for Chemicals (PEAC), which has been developed by AristaTek for both PC and Pocket PC. PEAC indexes information on more than 11,000 chemicals and chemical compounds that are likely to be encountered in a public safety environment. The automated nature of the database makes it easy to locate the substance of interest by providing for searches for chemical warfare incidents, biological agents, substances used in clandestine methamphetamine labs, radioactive isotopes, explosives, flammables, combustibles, and other categories. For each substance in the database, the program can display synonyms, chemical and physical properties, advice on protective clothing and respirator needs, and emergency response procedures.