TRC News Media

As police grapple with the growing problem of cyberbullying, they are “overwhelmed” by the quantity and complexity of computer-related crime, says the head of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police.

Edmonton police Chief Rod Knecht said law enforcement agencies need more resources from government to deal with crimes that relate to the Internet — everything from cyberbullying and online child exploitation to the use of the Internet to facilitate theft and assault.

“We are overwhelmed,” he said in an interview Friday. “You just see the crime that is facilitated through technology and the Internet is exploding for us and we need to catch up.”

The issue of cyberbullying has sparked a national debate after a series of high-profile cases, including the suicide of B.C. teen Amanda Todd last fall after years of online harassment.

Just this week, Nova Scotia put into force its new Cyber Safety Act and child pornography charges were laid against two males in relation to the case of Rehtaeh Parsons, who killed herself earlier this year after what her family says were months of cyberbullying following a sexual assault.

Knecht said he’s interested in the Nova Scotia law — which allows individuals bullied online to sue or seek a protection order against those responsible — but acknowledges that cracking down on the problem puts a strain on resources.

“We have to go online and we have to retrieve all the emails and maybe the Facebook page, and we need a warrant to do that,” he said.