Butler School District police cyber security officer John Stepansky said he will use the training and experience he gained as a state police officer to help protect students and staff.

“That’s why I was appointed,” Stepansky said about the school board’s recent decision to name him as the district police officer in charge of cyber security.

He said he spent half of his 25-year career in the state police as a computer crime investigator, and spending most of his career at the Butler station has made him familiar with the community.

Stepansky has worked as one of the district’s 19 police officers since 2012 and is a digital forensics instructor at Butler County Community College.

“Primarily he’ll do cyber investigation,” said Paul Epps, head of the district police.

The job requires a computer, Internet connection, software and the ability to use them in investigations, Stepansky said. He eventually will have an office in one of the district buildings.

“We will use all the tools the Internet offers us and anything we get from social media and other aspects of the Internet to thwart criminal activity,” he said.

That activity includes crimes on and around district schools, threats to students and staff, sexual exploitation of students and bullying.

Looking for information leaked on social media sites about planned school violence is part of the job, Stepansky said.

“There are 30 to 40 social media sites. It’s hard to keep up with them,” he said.

He said he will be traveling to schools in the district to assist administrators with bullying and cyber incidents that could lead to criminal or disciplinary proceedings.

If Stepansky learns of threats to another district he will alert that district, Epps said.

In addition to Stepansky’s appointment, the school board entered into a joint municipal agreement with the Butler County District Attorney’s Office to work together on investigating cyber crimes.

District Attorney Richard Goldinger told the board the agreement is a proactive approach to combat other crimes such as human trafficking.