In 2014, the police department in the City of Casper, Wyoming responded to a petition(1) asking to take initiative to enforce laws that already exist(2) for cyberbulling.  Although that petition continues to fight, the overall mission of engaging the police department has been a success. 

According to the police department(3), however, they can not investigate due to some attacks being anonymous. This is simply NOT TRUE(4)!

Casper Police Chief Jim Wetzel stated "It is important to note that [the Safe Schools Climate Act(5)] is an administrative law applicable to school districts. It is not a criminal law with which law enforcement has enforcement power. It does not provide for or introduce specific or enhanced criminal penalties for bullying or more directly “cyber-bullying”.(6)"

With this statement, it leads citizens to believe that law enforcement agencies feel that the Safe Schools Climate Act prevents them from taking action afforded to them under any and all other statutes in existence, with which they have the power and responsibility to enforce. 

We now turn to the lawmakers in the state, asking them to create, and pass a bill that would provide the jurisdictional requirements that would enable criminal repercussions against any aggressor that engages in an act of harassment through technological means. This legislation would work in partnership with the Safe Schools Climate Act.

The proposed legislature is not requested to demote, or denounce constitutional rights, primarily freedom of speech, as these documents are vital to the success of this nation, and to the success of those who inhabit it. Instead, this legislature is requested to provide additional repercussions to habitual tormentors whose actions can damage someone's mental capability to survive on their own recognizance for the  remaining duration of the victim's life. 

There is an undeniable connection to suicidal thoughts and cyberbullying(7), and if no further action is taken to prevent cyberbullying, our state will likely continue to hold the highest suicide rate in the nation(8).

Many states do not currently have laws that protect people from cyberbullies(9), yet, according to stopbullying.gov, the state of Wyoming does have legal remedies available(10).

It is time to stop playing the blame game, and hold the aggressors of such heinous crimes responsible for their actions. We need legislature that will enable criminal prosecution towards repeat assailants, and provide the victims the relief they deserve. Cyberbullying needs to be a crime!