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| (Photo illustration by Ted Schnell • BocaJump) |
First in a series
By Ted Schnell •
BocaJump | Monday, July 2, 2012
It’s no secret that since at least 2007, criminals have been
using Facebook, Twitter and other social media to plan burglaries, to stalk
ex-girlfriends, and even, in one extreme case in 2007, to bully a child badly
enough that she committed suicide.
Locally, prosecutors have said that one of two Elgin gang
members tried using Facebook in the hours leading up to the murder with which
the two have been charged to call out rival gang members to fight.
Social media are ubiquitous, and whether you use them for
personal enjoyment or for work, there are people out there who look on
Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube with nefarious purposes.
The popularity of social media arises from its ease of use,
its ability to establish broad networks and its flexibility — from posting typed
messages to putting up cellphone photos and even videos remotely.
Social media can
be used to play games or otherwise amuse; to stay in touch with distant family
and friends. Social medial also have business applications such as marketing
products and websites, engaging in conversation with clients or potential
clients, networking with fellow professionals to scout for jobs or recruit
employees.
Elgin officials have established a reputation for using social
media to inform residents of what’s happening and to field complaints and
criticisms. Police Chief Jeff Swoboda, for example, used Facebook to announce
the arrests of two teenagers four days after the June 7 gang slaying of another
youth.
The city was widely praised during the February 2011
blizzard for its use of social media to keep residents informed of conditions
during the storm and, later, of progress as crews plowed the city’s streets.
Related:
Social media’s ease of use and expanding applications
contribute to its growing popularity. A
2011 white paper by the National White Collar Crime Center states that 22
percent of the time spent on the Internet is related to social networking.
That’s not entirely surprising when you consider the
numbers.
Wikipedia lists Facebook
with more than 900 million users, Twitter with 500 million, and YouTube as streaming as many as 4
billion videos per day. There also are geotagging apps like foursquare, with 20 million users. The
application allows users to post the locations they are visiting to Facebook
and Twitter, so their friends know where they are.
But the free flow of personal information and images on
social media sites like Facebook and Twitter also is an open invitation for
those whose intent is less than honest. For Elgin police, however, social media
offer one more tool in their efforts to curb crime.
What the tech?
- Today: Social media for fun, work, fighting crime
- Day 2: EPD is online to fight crime
- Day 3: Protecting yourself on social media
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