Denmark paying police officers to play Fortnite, Minecraft to hunt abusers

The Danish police are living the video gamer's dream as they are getting paid to play games like Fortnite and Minecraft. They are not, however, enjoying themselves at the expense of the taxpayer. Instead, they patrol gaming forums, looking for abusers.

The 10-person team, which was formed last year to combat an increase in online crime during COVID-19 lockdowns, primarily looks for sexual predators and business criminals. Additionally, the device browses Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Instagram, and Discord.

While on digital patrol, the team's virtual representations wear uniforms.

"The same way you see a police car driving around in the streets, you can see a police officer with an official name in the online universe," Sisse Birkebaek, the head of the patrol, explained.

"We see a lot of grooming and attempts to harass youngsters, trying to take money from them, and stealing schemes in the gaming community, as well," she explained.

Miriam Michaelsen, a lawyer and founder of the Digital Responsibility Association, has long called for police to monitor the internet.

"When you talk to young people, they don’t see a difference between the physical world and the digital world, with one exception: they see police all the time on the streets," she said. "When you see police drive by, it can have an effect both for victims but also for criminals. It's the same online."

Since its founding in April of last year, "Politiets Online Patrulje" has opened more than 65 cases.

Jeppe Rimer Torup and his coworkers play CS:GO, Fifa, or Fortnite on a regular basis.

They game, observe, and cultivate relationships using the aliases Officer 1 through Officer 4, just as they would if they were physically conducting a routine neighbourhood patrol. They occasionally go undercover as well.

"We say, 'Hey, we are two officers playing, we need three volunteers from the chat. You can come and play with us'," said Rimer Torup, a 36-year-old officer.

According to The Telegraph, on a typical day, the unit might join a Facebook group, identify themselves as from the police, and inquire if any members have any questions or want to talk. The team has received over 5,200 tips since they began.

In addition to Twitch, Facebook, and Instagram, the police have 127,000, 23,000, 10,000, and 6,000 combined followers on TikTok.

The funding for the patrol is determined annually, but Torup expressed the hope that it would become permanent. Along with internet trends, the unit's work changes and develops.

In Denmark, 87% of Danes say they have faith in the police.