Local Police Increasingly Use Facebook, YouTube to Solve Crimes
By
Joseph Marks
Survey showed state law enforcement less likely to use social media than feds or sheriffs’ offices.
Smaller police departments and sheriffs’ offices are more likely to turn to social media to solve crimes than state law enforcement organizations, according to a recent survey by LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
About 80 percent of surveyed law enforcement officers look to social media during their investigations, the data search company said. Police look to Facebook and YouTube more than Twitter and other sites, the survey said. State law enforcement tends to look at social media less than federal and local law enforcement.
Other findings were:
- 67 percent believe social media helps solve crimes more quickly
- Search warrants that used social media to establish probable cause held up in court 87 percent of the time when challenged, according to respondents
- Close to 50 percent of respondents use social media at least weekly
- Only 10 percent of respondents learned how to use social media for investigations through formal training given at their agency
- Lack of access and familiarity are primary reasons for non-use -- 70 percent are either unable to access social media during work hours or do not have enough background to use it