NYPD's Social Media Unit Will Track Criminals On Facebook, Twitter

The NYPD has formed a new social media unit, The New York Daily News reports, to catch criminals who use Facebook and Twitter to announce law-breaking plans or to brag about their latest crime.

In June, an overcrowded house party in East New York, Brooklyn that was advertised on Facebook as "Freaky Friday" ended in a shooting that left one man dead and seven injured.

After that incident Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters "We look at social networking. We’re very much focused on weekend parties, the type of parties that happened last weekend, and we visit them ahead of time. But not every one of these parties happen at a place we can readily identify... Our gang division, our borough personnel look at party advertisements. A lot of these things are at peoples’ apartments."

In March, 18-year-old Anthony Collao was killed in an anti-gay attack at a Woodhaven, Queens, house party advertised on Facebook. Calvin Pietri, one of six later arrested, bragged about the murder on Facebook.

NY1 asked New Yorkers in June what they thought of cops snooping around on Facebook and Twitter. One said, "If it is going to help cut down on the homicides, then I guess I’m for it," while another lamented, "I really do think it is an invasion of privacy."

The relationship between mayhem and social media was brought into focus this week as violent riots spreading across London were coordinated via Twitter and Blackberry messages.

Comments

[unitedasone]

01:57 PM on 09/25/2011

So that's what demonstrators are now....criminals? You know that's what this is right?

[dbrett480]

09:13 PM on 08/24/2011

Good idea. Although I can't imagine that this is the most difficult detective work.

[MikeyJaii]

12:26 AM on 08/12/2011

Once they build everything around Facebook, and it crashes. BAM! They're all screwed.

[FreelanceWriter]

07:10 PM on 08/11/2011

>> QUOTE: "In March, 18-year-old Anthony Collao was killed in an anti-gay attack... Calvin Pietri bragged about the murder on Facebook. NY1 asked New Yorkers in June what they thought of cops snooping around on Facebook and Twitter.... One lamented, "I really do think it is an invasion of privacy."

WHAT THE HECK?
HOW is this an invasion of privacy?

Hey, here's a NEWS FLASH for people like this "lamenter."

If you're a CRIMINAL...you know, someone actually engaging IN criminal activities...

...And if you then BRAG about what you did online, on something like Facebook...

..Then you DESERVE to be caught. Not only for simply being a crook, but frankly for being one of the STUPIDEST people around. To which I say: Enjoy your jail time!!!

[dayzee10]

10:30 AM on 08/11/2011

If there is any intelligent criminals out there wouldn't you use the social media to send the cops somewhere on a wild goose chase then do the crime where you know they won't be?

[bealebkk]

08:11 AM on 08/11/2011

OK! the first guy to move gets it with the mouse

[single malt]

12:03 AM on 08/11/2011

they could just use one of the brand monitoring tools to search criminals by name or alias and then get an email when it pops up online.

[O K Ali]

11:54 PM on 08/10/2011

Did they really have to form a task force? There are many viral sites where idiots post themselves committing crimes.

[TheAlchemyst]

03:49 PM on 08/11/2011

Its the NYPD. They like taskforces (more $$ to acquisition)

[Ty2010]

09:11 PM on 08/10/2011

Background checks and a 3 day waiting period required in NY for party hats, bunting and streamers. Cakes and noise makers are unaffected so far, but their sales and use are being monitored.

[joocee102]

06:02 PM on 08/10/2011

Oh, another way to waste money. Cops are now justifying searching for internet porn while also searching for social media criminals.

Double worthless.

[JCurley]

04:06 PM on 08/10/2011

"NY criminals make social media accounts private."

[Hickspy]

03:36 PM on 08/10/2011

I'm very interested to see how they use forensic investigative techniques on popular cat videos.

[Cordell Cameron]

03:31 PM on 08/10/2011

It's not illegal if you don't get caught.

[Danek Greori]

03:25 PM on 08/10/2011

I'm not saying that the world would be better off with more intelligent, violent criminals. However, one has to wonder, what level of stupidity is required to first commit a crime, and then brag about it in a medium which is inherently not secure, and open by nature. The surest way to be caught for committing a crime (any crime) is to tell someone what you did.

[jasev01]

02:03 PM on 08/10/2011

law and order SMU...dong dong

[Savage Lotus]

03:28 PM on 08/10/2011

LOL!!! (I especially liked the sound effects)

[Daws]

04:35 PM on 08/10/2011

Blast! You beat me to it!