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So you are not sure that anyone is serious about social media like Facebook. Your Facebook page is even looked at by the police. While you don’t need to worry if you aren’t being unlawful you might be surprised who is looking at you.
The police are mostly looking at what is posted publicly. In the United States they have to have a subpoena to access private accounts.
In a missing person or kidnapping case, the police use Facebook to get information. They might check to see if the kidnapped person’s account has been accessed lately.
And police make use of Facebook give a local communities information to keep them safe. Here are some of the ways that the police are using social media in order to work smarter, not harder.
Wanted Facebook Poster
Because there is a high amount of traffic on Facebook, police use this to search of wanted criminals. Look for local police department Fan pages where the police will post status reports like, “Police need help finding a white man in his early twenties who robbed a gas station,” along with a link to a security video from the store.
Millions of people use Facebook daily so the police can spread this information in real time to as many people as they can and provide updates in real time as well.
Police Blotters
Newspapers (remember them?) used to have a feature called the Police Blotter on which the police told the public about daily police actions. Now police are using their fan page as a Police Blotter, publishing in real time to get the information to the public and other media. A developing story becomes digital.
Gangs
Did you know that gangs use Facebook to communicate and that they actually boast about what unlawful acts they have done? This helps the gang members know what each other is doing. Meanwhile it also alerts the police to what they are doing. In order to get to be a friend on such a site, a police member can create a fake profile to “friend” the gang members. Within this site the police can learn about unlawful acts possibly before they occur.
Boasting
Can you believe that gang members and other kinds of criminals actually use social media to boast about recent criminal acts. Recently New York police found their “persons of interest” related to a fatal beating that happened at a party because the event was posted on Facebook. One of the people arrested bragged on Facebook about the murder.
Emergencies
Natural disasters are a natural for police to use Facebook to inform the public about emergency procedures, services, dangerous areas or lost people. These alerts can go to a whole town instantly, providing real time information and resources keeping the public as safe and informed as possible.
Does social media, and specifically Facebook, work? Ask your neighborhood police force.
This article was based on information written by Gina Holstead is a former police officer who now runs a website called Law Enforcement Training College.
[/caption]So you are not sure that anyone is serious about social media like Facebook. Your Facebook page is even looked at by the police. While you don’t need to worry if you aren’t being unlawful you might be surprised who is looking at you.
The police are mostly looking at what is posted publicly. In the United States they have to have a subpoena to access private accounts.
In a missing person or kidnapping case, the police use Facebook to get information. They might check to see if the kidnapped person’s account has been accessed lately.
And police make use of Facebook give a local communities information to keep them safe. Here are some of the ways that the police are using social media in order to work smarter, not harder.
Wanted Facebook Poster
Because there is a high amount of traffic on Facebook, police use this to search of wanted criminals. Look for local police department Fan pages where the police will post status reports like, “Police need help finding a white man in his early twenties who robbed a gas station,” along with a link to a security video from the store.
Millions of people use Facebook daily so the police can spread this information in real time to as many people as they can and provide updates in real time as well.
Police Blotters
Newspapers (remember them?) used to have a feature called the Police Blotter on which the police told the public about daily police actions. Now police are using their fan page as a Police Blotter, publishing in real time to get the information to the public and other media. A developing story becomes digital.
Gangs
Did you know that gangs use Facebook to communicate and that they actually boast about what unlawful acts they have done? This helps the gang members know what each other is doing. Meanwhile it also alerts the police to what they are doing. In order to get to be a friend on such a site, a police member can create a fake profile to “friend” the gang members. Within this site the police can learn about unlawful acts possibly before they occur.
Boasting
Can you believe that gang members and other kinds of criminals actually use social media to boast about recent criminal acts. Recently New York police found their “persons of interest” related to a fatal beating that happened at a party because the event was posted on Facebook. One of the people arrested bragged on Facebook about the murder.
Emergencies
Natural disasters are a natural for police to use Facebook to inform the public about emergency procedures, services, dangerous areas or lost people. These alerts can go to a whole town instantly, providing real time information and resources keeping the public as safe and informed as possible.
Does social media, and specifically Facebook, work? Ask your neighborhood police force.
This article was based on information written by Gina Holstead is a former police officer who now runs a website called Law Enforcement Training College.
Jaco Grobbelaar, owner of BroadVision Marketing, helps business owners and business professionals put marketing strategies in place that consistently secure new clients. He can be reached at jaco@broadvisionmarketing.com or 707.799.1238. You can “Like” him at www.facebook.com/broadvisionmarketing or connect with him on www.linkedin.com/in/JacoGrobbelaar.
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