A potential risk could be as simple as your child having more than one calculator app on their phone. 

Melissa Stocker, board coordinator at Clark County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy, said some mobile applications such as “calculator vaults” can hide apps or photos and other files while disguised as a calculator app. And some apps can lead to danger, she said. 

The “Dangers in Plain Sight” series will touch on this and more as it returns this year, but this time with an emphasis on the latest local information.

The Clark County KY Agency for Substance Abuse Policy and the Winchester-Clark County Bluegrass Community and Technical College campus partnered to present the second year for the programs.

The program is a three-part community education awareness series for K-12 parents and guardians. According to a news release, this year’s series added new presenters with current, local information.

The first session in the 2019-20 series begins at 6:15 p.m. Thursday; it will cover “Community Drug Awareness.”

Winchester Police Capt. James Hall said the series is a great opportunity for caregivers who might not be aware of what’s going on in the community or what’s going on in their child’s life. 

“Children are exposed to a lot more today than they had ever had been on the drug front, and on the social media, cyberbullying,” Hall said. “ … I think, for people who come out, that this will be a huge eye opener for them, just to see what their child is exposed to here in Winchester.”

The first session will cover what types of drugs are in Clark County, narcotic traffickers, what parents can do if they think they’re child is using, the dangers of vaping and more. 

Stocker said she wanted to bring in local law enforcement for the second year of the series because they get up close and personal with these issues every day. 

City Commissioner Ramsey Flynn organized the event last year to educate and bring awareness to the issues of drugs, human trafficking, social media and bullying that affect the youth and the community.

The next session will cover human trafficking on Nov. 18, presented by Allyson Taylor, executive director of the Office of Child Abuse and Human Trafficking Prevention and Prosecution. 

“We’re hoping to educate the community on just what exactly human trafficking looks like, and signs that you can look for. And then what you can do if you suspect human trafficking,” Stocker said.

Hall said the police department mainly sees calls concerning human trafficking in regards to sex workers or illegal labor. 

“Children are being enticed,” Hall said. “Juveniles and young adults will be enticed to do things they wouldn’t do through social media. They’re being exposed to different apps and different people online putting them in a position where they’ll do something and they’ll be tied into it. It’s as simple as sending an image to somebody they think is is somebody of their own age but ends up being an adult. Then in turn, they will use that image and transmit that image globally.”

The last session will cover online dangers and bullying on Feb. 6, presented by WPD.

“We’ll talk about different things tthe kids can be exposed to on the internet, bullying techniques people will use on the internet,” Hall said.

Hall said he also looks forward to showing the community WPD cares, hoping a few familiar faces on the force will ease their fears if the time ever arrives a person may need to call on WPD to help. 

“We go to church here. Our kids go to school here … We shop here,” Hall said. “So we want people to feel comfortable … being able to approach us and speak to us about issues their families are facing on a daily basis. They shouldn’t be afraid to reach out to us for help.”

In addition to the presenters, each event will include a free dinner and resource tables.

All events will take place at the BCTC campus in Winchester. Dinner starts at 5:15 p.m. and the events begin at 6:15 p.m.

“One of the big killers is apathy,” Hall said. “ … We need complete community involvement, to be aware of the problems we’ve got going on and everybody pitching in.

“You just can’t bury your head in the sand. You need to know what to look for.”