Started by law enforcement. Still protecting our youth.
Our mission is to implement and continually support internet safety education globally for all children, by providing training, technical assistance, and educational materials at no cost to the recipients.
He saw it coming before most people knew what an online predator was.
In 1998, Sheriff Mike Brown of Bedford County, Virginia, was one of the original administrators of the Department of Justice's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces. He knew the internet was changing how children were targeted, and that arrests alone would never be enough. So with Robin Sundquist, he founded Safe Surfin' to stop predators before a crime ever happens.
Safe Surfin' became the educational arm of the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, first known as Operation Blue Ridge Thunder. Through presentations, events, printed guides, PSAs, and online tools, we teach the public about internet crimes against children and help internet users of every age stay safe.
We work alongside the U.S. Department of Justice, school systems, public libraries, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations. More than 25 years later, Sheriff Brown is still showing up and still advocating for kids. His foresight saved lives then, and it's saving lives now.
From peer mentors in one high school to a simulator in every browser.
Our programs grew out of what worked. Cyber S.W.A.T. proved that students listen to their peers. The Safety Hub takes that idea and puts it in front of every student with a browser.
The people behind the mission.
Our leaders and board members come from law enforcement, education, the courts, nonprofits, and technology.
