Police officers are using social networks like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to track down and arrest criminals who brag about their actions.
There are plenty of dumb criminals out there. But thanks to the Internet age, it’s gotten easier to track them down and arrest them than ever before.
Why? Facebook, of course! Criminals – like just about everyone else in the world – are spending time online bragging about their recent exploits. And law enforcement officials are paying close attention to their feeds.
Take the case of Manhattan mugger, James Roberts who bragged, “I’ve got new bling!” complete with a photo of himself with an expensive watch and ring. Police were able to match the jewelry with the description given by the victim, who had been robbed the day before.
“He’s sitting on the couch, and then there’s a close-up of his hand with the ring out,” the officer told the New York Post. “It’s very distinguishable, with blue and white stones.”
Facebook and MySpace have also been used to track gang activity, solve sexual assaults, and even locate missing people. They’ve become so useful that the Manhattan North Gang intelligence unit has its own “social media expert,” who searches social media platforms for news about gang-related activity. And he’s got his work cut out for him.
“You can find a lot of gangs on MySpace; they actually have their own sites,” said one investigator. “They put a lot of stuff out there.”