NYPD announces social media unit to track crime online

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/nypd-announces-social-media-unit-track-crime-twitter-205114265.html

NYPD announces social media unit to track crime through Twitter and Facebook

It looks like Law & Order: Facebook might not be that far off as the next installment of TV's ubiquitous crime drama. According to New York's Daily News, the New York Police Department is creating a separate division just for tracking down potential offenders via social media.

The forward-thinking decision to create the new unit, which will be under the umbrella of the juvenile justice division, has roots in the department's past successes in apprehending suspects through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Assistant Commissioner Kevin O'Connor will helm the unit and lead his staff in scanning social media updates for hints that suspects and gang members broadcast online. Given the somewhat convoluted privacy settings on some social sites, it's possible that suspects could unwittingly give up details crucial to criminal cases.

In March, the NYPD apprehended 6 suspects charged with the violent, hate-fueled murder of 18-year-old Anthony Collao in Queens after one of the suspects bragged about it on his Facebook account.

The new unit couldn't have been announced at a more appropriate time, as social technology has fueled a rash of youth riots that began in urban London and continue to spread across England like literal wildfire.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Social media and internet in general is going to be the future of tracking, investigating, and probably even prosecuting crimes. It should be no surprise that cities are taking to facebook and twitter.

Two posts have been removed - one for containing a personal attack and one containing a response to the attack. The second post has been returned to the thread here with the response part removed. If you are not going to discuss the topic posted, then do not participate in the thread.

[^_^ 5,021]

Accusing someone of trolling is now a personal attack? I'd like that on the record because it happens a lot.

[slim 1,533]

Accusing someone of trolling is now a personal attack? I'd like that on the record because it happens a lot.

Yeah. I didn't think he was attacking Kip or me. That's his standard reply to both of us. If that's an attack, we better get some clarification on the TOS. Especially if accusations of trolling are henceforth unallowed!

For the record, I know I go at it with a few posters on here but I've never felt like anything they've posted has been out of line. I may be thicker skinned than some, but I don't think anything's been inappropriate.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I'm still trying to figure out how me posting some piece on the NYPD cracking down on criminals using social networks is trolling?