Ottawa – While crimes using new computer technologies are increasing, the Canadian Police have decided to turn their actions towards the network to fight against this type of crime. In this sense, Recruiting officers in the virtual world of Seconf Life was a good alternative to modify part of this universe.

” We don't need to create a police station or conduct investigations in Second Life.”said head of Vancouver police's technology crimes unit, Kevin McQuiggin. “But police work needs to reflect society and, with technology developing more and more, we need to make sure the officers we recruit are comfortable with that,” the inspector said.

“Everyone we meet online, simply because they are in Second Life, should be particularly interested and comfortable with cutting-edge technology. “He could be a great candidate” for modern policing.» McQuiggin continued.

As a sample of today's world, Inspector McQuiggin's unit is one of the most in demand: last year he acted in 18 of the 19 homicide cases that the police of Vancouver had to resolve. Thus, he embarked on the Second Life adventure by creating his own virtual characters on the site and organized a first recruitment session in June. According to the inspector, a second should be carried out before the end of the year.

Second Life is a virtual world inspired by online role-playing games and it allows you to make any type of decision, to attend a concert, to pursue the job of your dreams, to start a family or go to a brothel, to learn a language or to buy a paradise island. This new universe was created in 2003 by Lindon Lab and is currently visited by more than eight million Internet users around the world.

The session held in June by Vancouver police officers would in many ways resemble a real session, with the selection process explained and the positions available described. But there was one exception: the applicants were “avatars” (two-dimensional figures capable of interacting with others) dressed as mercenaries, with wings or bizarre hairstyles. But the inspector was not alarmed, recognizing that “avatars are nothing other than the expression of your individuality online.”

Large companies are increasingly turning to online recruitment, via virtual communities. In May, communications agency TMP Worldwide hosted its first virtual recruitment forum, attracting hundreds of candidates. Giants such as Hewlett-Packard, Verizon Communications and Microsoft are also moving this route.

According to Inspector McQuiggin, the Vancouver police received, after their first briefing in Second Life, three serious applications. ” An Italian who was preparing to come on vacation to Canada will come to visit us next week” for a real job interview, which recruitment in the virtual world could not handle, specifies McQuiggin.