Invisible crime - an injustice that has been witnessed by many but later on, dissolves and is discarded and forgotten by the public.
On September 1, 2014, Filipino netizens were in a frenzy upon discovering a photo, which shows several cops huddled against a single vehicle, in what looked to be a road bust operation. Later on, it had been unveiled that the picture, taken by an uncredited source who happened to be on the scene, was actually highway robbery perpetrated by the same policemen present on the shot.
It was Twitter, not the local police, who got wind of the report. The story circulated like wildfire, and it was the same viral photo that gave birth to several news headlines and TV reports, which totally opened the whole incident to the nation.
The power of social sharing has gained legitimate footing through how the case was solved. This could have been left in the dust if it weren't for the photograph, and it's empowering to think that civilians can now play the role of public investigators with social media as their information badge pass.
Social Media and Crime Fighting
Again, Twitter has displayed its importance in aiding police officers against high-profile injustices. Social media has fostered teamwork between the police force and civilians. The Boston Marathon Bombing ended in great chaos when high-level explosives detonated near the finish line. Eventually, the Boston Police Department (BPD) released a humble statement, in which the force has invited civilians to participate in the investigation.
Many false leads entered the conversation tunnel; Twitter did not had a role in solving the crime, but it broke the encroaching divide between the Boston Police Department and the Boston public. In the end, BPD used Twitter to announce the capture of the true culprits. You can read the detailed report here.
Twitter and the Future of Local Crime Fighting
The Philippines has its fair share of policemen going berserk. Sadly, the country is deeply plagued by men in blue uniforms and satisfyingly, Twitter cut down their ranks and a massive manhunt is now in place to capture those implicated in the incident.
It's really easy nowadays to share photos online and with timing and relevance, social media has become the best source of information between peers, between agencies, and other organizations that consume a bottomless pool of online media. The power of sharing has never been more important until now!
While there are no reliable statistics that can strongly support Twitter's handling of crimes, it can be said that it has the potential to replace hackneyed methods in reporting public anomalies like kidnapping, bombing incidents, shootouts, and other crime that can endanger lives in a matter of seconds.
Have you used Twitter in reporting a crime that has happened near you? Sound it off in the comments below!