Federal stimulus spending helps fight Mid-Mo. cyber crimes

The Callaway County Sheriff's Office will share $152,305 in federal stimulus spending from the U.S. Justice Department with six other Central Missouri counties to fight online predators who attempt to entice children and deal in child pornography.

Sharing the federal stimulus spending money with the Callaway County Sheriff's Department are the Mid-Missouri counties of Cole, Boone, Audrain Cooper, Howard and Randolph.

The stimulus grant was announced this week by the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

Unlike many states, Missouri uses a regional concept to fight cyber crimes against children. The regional approach emphasizes working cooperatively across jurisdictional lines rather than inside just one county or city. It emphasizes sharing information from investigations throughout a region to make the enforcement effort more effective.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.