We are excited to finally introduce you to our new friend.
Meet Jamie.
The Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association is announcing the launch of an innovative AI-powered web chat that is more than just a tool. Jamie is specifically designed to help children and teenagers aged 11-17 navigate complex safety issues, including exploitation, online safety, substance abuse, bullying, and mental health challenges.
The Growing Issue
There is a growing risk to children and teens in Alberta. Child exploitation has seen a 220% increase in cases since 2021, as reported by the RCMP. Between 2017 and 2024, the number of youth passing away from opioid-related deaths or toxic drug supply has been on the rise, according to the Government of Alberta.
After speaking with educators, guardians, and professionals who work with youths throughout Alberta, we’ve gained a better understanding of how these issues impact youths and how to best help them. 75%of professionals we spoke to encounter issues related to exploitation, online safety, criminal mischief, bullying, and drug use among youth more than seven times per month.
Children and teens need to be better equipped to prevent these crimes and issues.
Closing the Gap
There has been a critical gap in providing youth-friendly, easily accessible information and support that is readily available and not too complex.
Much of the crime prevention information available is geared towards adults. Youth often struggle to understand or act upon this existing information.
Having to talk to an adult may also hold kids back from getting the help they need. They may feel like they will be judged or get in trouble for even asking. Sometimes it’s easier to speak with a peer. We learned from surveying guardians and educators that children prefer to learn about issues by discussing these issues with their friends. That’s why we designed Jamie to be a character of a similar age to them. The bot responds in a way that a teen might speak, while being patient and understanding.
What Jamie Can Help With
Jamie has been specifically designed to help youths navigate the common issues and crimes that largely impact children and teens in Alberta. These issues include:
- Exploitation
- Online safety
- Drugs and substances
- Criminal mischief
- Bullying
- Mental health
There is a wealth of knowledge available to help prevent these issues from affecting young people. As hard as we all try to prevent children and teens from being impacted, there are those who still experience bullying or mental health problems. Jamie was designed with this in mind: to be a knowledgeable resource to prevent crime and a friendly peer who can walk them through how to get help.
Get to Know Jamie and the Tool's Features
Designed for Youths
The interface and conversation style have been specifically tailored for children and teens, making complex topics easy to understand and relate to.
Covering All Crime-Related Topics
Kids have to deal with a lot, whether it's something scary happening online, dealing with bullying at school, or just being curious about staying safe. This tool addresses multiple safety and wellness topics, so kids don't have to search multiple websites or wonder if they're getting the right information.
Privacy-First Approach
Any conversations with Jamie are completely anonymous. Kids don't need to create an account, share their names, or worry about anyone finding out what they asked. The platform includes special safety features for sensitive situations, ensuring kids can get help without putting themselves at risk.
Expert Oversight
While Jamie uses AI to provide immediate responses, the platform undergoes regular content moderation and expert oversight. Safety professionals continuously review and update Jamie's knowledge base to ensure the information provided is accurate, helpful, and appropriate.
Safety First Design
Understanding that some youth may need to access Jamie in unsafe environments, we've included a "Quick Exit" safety feature. Unlike standard exit buttons that just close the browser or redirect to Google, our Quick Exit immediately takes you to a kid-friendly YouTube video. This makes it more convincing that the user was just watching videos, not seeking help.
Start Asking Jamie
Talking with Jamie is easy and completely free for everyone in Alberta, regardless of their situation or where they live in the province. Simply visit levelupwithjamie.ca from any device, like a computer or phone. We're already planning the next step, which is a dedicated Jamie mobile app. This will make accessing support even easier. Stay tuned for updates on the app launch!
Together, We Can Make a Difference for Kids
Jamie is a community commitment to youth safety. By working together to promote awareness and encourage young people to use this resource, we can help prevent crimes against youth and ensure that youths who need help know exactly where to find it.
Visit levelupwithjamie.ca today to meet Jamie, and help us spread the word. Every young person deserves a friend who understands, a resource they can trust, and a safe place to find answers.
You can also find helpful kid-focused safety tips from Jamie on their TikTok @levelupwithjamie, and on our Instagram as well at @ab_crimewatch.
September 05, 2025