MADISON – A device found practically in everyone’s everyday lives can pose a threat to safety, but a Madison detective will discuss ways for families to eliminate risks.

Detective Ted Thiele with Madison Police Department will present the “Family Smartphone Safety” session at Asbury United Methodist Church, 980 Hughes Road. The program on Nov. 20 will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The session is free and open to the public.

“As we focus on the health and safety of our kids both at Asbury and in the community, we are excited to offer a safe place for families to grow together,” Pastor of Engagement Chris Knox said.

“We hope our family classes provide a great resource for the community to gain expert knowledge and support as we all seek to raise our kids well,” Knox said. “We couldn’t be more pleased to connect the community with Detective Thiele as he shares what we can do to help keep our kids safe on their smartphones.”

With guidelines from the session, families can decide how to improve monitoring their youngsters and teenagers’ smartphone usage, especially if the child will receive a new device as a Christmas gift. Families will learn about age-appropriate apps, apps that can cause concern for parents, social media, privacy settings and ways to watch out for scammers and predators.

With the Madison force, Thiele is their first and only digital forensic examiner. His experience includes work as a ‘Crimes Against Children’ criminal investigator with the National Children’s Advocacy Center.

Thiele has served with Madison Police Department for 12-plus years and currently works in the Investigation Division. His casework has led to collaboration with FBI agents, Homeland Security and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. He has earned a Cyber Security Specialist Certificate and a bachelor’s degree in criminology.

Thiele is a certified foster parent. He and his wife have three children who attend Madison City Schools.

The “Family Smartphone Safety” session is the latest installment in Asbury’s new “Family Classes” series, which connect families with local experts. The next family class will be offered in January 2020.

With event registration, free childcare will be available for six-week-olds through fifth-graders. To register, visit weareasbury.com/familyclasses. For more information, email chris.knox@weareasbury.com.