Expert Picks: Toby's Recommendations For Improving Your 2023 Community Engagement

Meet Toby. Toby is one of the Directors of Public Relations at LAW Publications. He enjoys providing local law enforcement agencies with educational materials that cover the most pressing issues in our society, such as human trafficking and the fentanyl epidemic, and truly enjoys hearing positive feedback from departments that have utilized these materials in their communities. 

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His recommendations for enhancing community engagement in the coming months include:

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Coloring Book: What Can I Do About Strangers

“What Can I Do…About Strangers?” is a coloring book aimed to help parents teach their children–designed for ages 4-12–about interacting with strangers. With the beginning of the school year right around the corner, Toby recommends that parents utilize this coloring book to work through important questions with their children, such as who constitutes a stranger and how to interact with strangers in different situations, like walking home from school. 

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Book: Safe and Secure: Your Identity, Your Money, Your Personal Safety

Recommended for ages 16 and up, this edition of “Safe and Secure” focuses on preventing theft–of money and personal identity. As the book covers a large variety of cons, frauds, and scams, Toby finds that it provides valuable and relevant material to any community. By clearly defining different types of theft, demonstrating various examples of each, and explaining best practices to prevent it, this publication is a practical tool that is useful to nearly every demographic and community.

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Book: Shadow Victims: The International Trade of Human Beings

Also recommended for ages 16 and up, “Shadow Victims: The International Trade of Human Beings” discusses different forms of human trafficking, including sex trafficking and forced labor. Because human trafficking is such a complex issue that knows no bounds, Toby recommends this publication to departments across the country. In addition to learning about various types of trafficking, “Shadow Victims” teaches readers about indicators of human trafficking and they can help. 

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Flyer: Cyberbullying

As such a relevant topic for children and young adults these days, “Learn More about…Cyberbullying” is one of Toby’s top recommendations to departments year-round. Though the flyer itself is recommended for ages 12 and up, it is also a great resource for parents to use when broaching the topic with their children. As social media usage becomes more commonplace among younger age groups, it is important that both parents and children are aware of the prevalence of cyberbullying as well as ways to address it when it happens.