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Website offers information
The Vindicator (Youngstown)
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“Beezer” Matkovich, website administrator for Hubbard Township Police Department, shows the home page of the site, www.hubbardtwppd.org. Matkovich said the site offers straight-forward information to help people in many situations.
The Vindicator (Youngstown)
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Child Safety is one of many topics featured on the township’s website. Information on current issues such as bullying, cyberbullying and sexting also may be accessed.
The Hubbard Township Police Department offers extensive safety information on its website, www.hubbardtwppd.org.
Children’s safety: Information includes bullying facts and tips for parents and children, sexting, when to dial 911, “stranger danger,” child identification, about Amber Alert, gun safety, peer pressure and what to do in an emergency.
Just for Kids: Among information is dealing with being afraid in various situations, bullying and selling things door to door.
Teen Tips: A range of information includes alcohol and drug use, defensive driving, self-defense and self-esteem.
Senior citizens assistance program: Discusses how the program can aid seniors in the community.
Homeland preparedness: Topics discussed include national threat advisory system; preparing for emergencies, including what your emergency kit should contain; how to keep your mail safe; and a citizen’s protection guide.
Motor vehicle safety: Topics include financial responsibility, teen driving tips, bad weather driving tips, road trip safety, what do if you’re in an accident, how to stop vehicle break-ins and how to behave in a traffic stop.
All-purpose vehicle law: Own an ATV, a scooter, a mini-bike or a golf cart? Ohio has instituted some new laws governing ownership, registration and usage.
Community policing: Working hand-in-hand with the people the police serve is the theme. Among programs are Kops and Kids, Hooked on Fishing, kindergarten screening and bus ride-along.
Source: Hubbard Township website
By LINDA M. LINONIS
HUBBARD
As a Trumbull County 911 dispatcher, “Beezer” Matkovich hears about all kinds of trouble and sends help in many ways.
As website administrator for Hubbard Township Police Department, his mission is to provide information so that everyone from children to senior citizens can use the knowledge to avoid trouble.
“In Partnership with Our Community” is the theme for the department and website. Matkovich, whose given name is Richard, was hired at 19 as a part-time dispatcher in the township, and his affiliation continues some 20 years later.
“It may sound corny, but I think of the community as a big family,” the township resident said. “I like doing something that will help the community.”
Matkovich said he built the website, www.hubbardtwppd.org, in the mid-1990s. “There’s always new and updated information,” he said. He credited Detective Pete Gibb of Brookfield Police Department with teaching him how to set up a site and maintain it.
Matkovich described the website as “no frills, user-friendly and high in content.” You won’t find animation, flashy photos and trendy music, but you will find useful information for every age.
Matkovich does a lot of research and uses federal information sites as resources. He often rewrites the material for his target audience. He takes the information and makes it more user-friendly.
"The Internet is a tool," he said, noting that its power and scope may be hard for young people to grasp. But, he said, that’s why parents should have parental controls on all family computers and be aware of what their children are doing.
Social networking on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are quick and fun ways to communicate, Matkovich said. But, he cautions youths and their parents to check privacy settings frequently and not relay every move they make. “Saying you’re going on vacation and how much birthday money you got” just invites trouble, Matkovich said.
Matkovich said some of the information deals with bullying and cyberbullying. “These are things a lot of kids go through, and it’s in the media a lot,” he said. Information on the site offers ways to cope.
“Sexting” — sending seminude or nude photos through cell phones — may be child pornography depending on the ages of those involved, Matkovich said. If you take nude or sexually suggestive photos of yourself or someone else, then pass it along, you could be charged with producing or distributing child pornography.
Matkovich said the website information isn’t intended to be legal advice but offers a cautionary note about the ramifications in the present and future concerning risky behavior with cell phones and computers.
Police Chief Todd Coonce said some people have used the “community referrals” form to tell police about a situation in their neighborhood. Coonce encourages parents and children to read the website information because it deals with the reality of life.