What is a Red Notice? What types of databases are run by the world’s largest police organisation? What is ‘the Case of the Black Tattoo’? All these questions are answered with the launch of StudentZone, INTERPOL’s new educational website.
Aimed at teenagers, the new site is also a resource for teachers and parents providing information about INTERPOL, its role and how it works with police in each of its 190 member countries in preventing and detecting international crime. ‘INTERPOL Junior Officer – the Case of the Black Tattoo,’ is a game where players take on the role of an INTERPOL officer travelling worldwide, gathering clues to assist local police in tracking down an international gang involved in smuggling.
Through a series of mini-challenges, the player learns about various crime areas as well as INTERPOL’s areas of expertise. Players must complete a range of tasks to close the case, and have the option of posting their score to compare rankings with other players via social networks.
INTERPOL’s Director of Cabinet, Roraima Andriani, who oversaw the project, said: “Every day, INTERPOL works with police around the world to fight all types of crime, and we have seen the increasing dangers posed to the public, and especially young people, through crimes committed via the Internet.
“However, it is important to remember that the Internet is simply a reflection of society and just as we consider school essential for children in the real world, education has an important role to play via the world wide web,” said Mrs Andriani.
“INTERPOL’s new educational website enables us to share the knowledge and expertise we have developed with our member countries to help children become better informed on how to protect themselves.
“StudentZone brings together two key areas of society, the police and young people. It supports students’ understanding of the world they are growing up in, and gives them an opportunity to develop a greater understanding about INTERPOL and law enforcement in an informative and entertaining way,” concluded Mrs Andriani.
Students in Lyon were the first to test the new website and game when INTERPOL’s Secretary General, Ronald K. Noble, visited the Cité Scolaire Internationale, where he met with a group of 15 to 17-year-olds.
Mr Noble led a discussion about the impact of different crimes and how they can be linked internationally, before the students played the game to see who could complete the challenges in the fastest time to try and attain the rank of senior officer.
“I was very impressed by the level of debate with the students, who demonstrated not only critical thought in relation to the questions, but also a genuine interest in the work done by INTERPOL and the implications of international crime,” said Noble.
The students were awarded a certificate by Mr Noble and Mr Roland Debbasch, the Rhone region’s top-ranking education official, who together with the Rhone’s Academic Director, Jean-Louis Baglan, visited the school to support the INTERPOL initiative.
INTERPOL is translating the game into French, Spanish and Arabic. To play the game and test your investigative skills, visit: www.interpol.int/studentzone
