Social media is exploding in the business world due to the networking abilities that businesses just can't turn a blind eye to any longer. Some jumped on the "social media highway" much quicker than others. I have unknowingly been involved in social media longer than I first realized but I truly did not get into the conversation until 02/2009. Now my mind just sees so many possibilities for social media to be used in Law Enforcement and National Security.
An example of this would be "Twitter Reverse 911″, "Facebook Reverse 911″, you fill in the social media blank "_______ Reverse 911. The times they are a changing and if you don't change you get passed by. Oh, and someone tell the guy waiting for a full-service gas customer to maybe look for another job. My feeling is there is tremendous growth potential for social media to be used in Law Enforcement and National Security in a very positive way. Wikipedia defines "Reverse 911″ this way:
Reverse 911 is a communication system that allows emergency services to quickly contact members of a community or organization with information. It is so named, because 911 is the telephone number used for members of the community to communicate with emergency services (police, fire, EMS) in the USA. This system allows emergency services to do the "reverse", usually to inform the public of a known hazard. Reverse 911 is designed to provide map- or list-based communications with key audiences. Geographic calling zones are created based on immediate circumstances (e.g. Amber Alerts) or ahead of time based on anticipated needs (e.g. flood plains). Reverse 911 may also target specific lists of people (e.g., first responders, Neighborhood Watch, etc.)
Reverse 911 is used in hundreds of communities, counties, commercial businesses, schools and non-profit organizations. The system has been used to solve and prevent crimes.[1] Via Wikipedia
A "Twitter Warning" (in lieu of "Twitter Reverse 911) would work like this. Let's use the overturned chlorine railcar as a disaster any Law Enforcement jurisdiction would want to notify it's citizens of to prevent harm to those citizens. Say the Boston PD Boston PD who has 7,104 followers as of this post sent out a "Tweet Warning" to it's followers with geographic boundaries where the fictitious chlorine railcar ruptured and is creating a hazard. If just one person either living in the map boundaries or planning to travel through the map boundaries is notified of this incident through Twitter then you have established social media, namely Twitter as an important emergency warning system. You can do the same with Facebook, FriendFeed, and any other social media outlet one could think of.
Using social media as a warning system is a world wide tool and not just for us here in the United States. Do you see where I am going with this? The thought of using social media websites as warning systems will change our culture worldwide (wow). "Reverse 911″ has been around for some years and there are several MMS, SMS, and Email warning systems popping up, specifically on college campuses: due to the horrible incident that tool place at Virginia Tech a few years ago. The exciting thing here is a lot of people use social media at home, in their car, at work and to have this kind of warning system in people's hands while they are on the go is intrinsically valuable (more lives will be saved). Our society is becoming more mobile everyday with the increase of powerful smartphone like the iPhone.
I am not sure how fast this idea will catch on, but I don't think Law Enforcement agencies or Governments will be able to prevent this. Most law enforcement agencies are a little behind integrating social media into a Law Enforcement tool. Social media is a new communication frontier that is virtual and this may add to the reluctance to pay money to set up a "Social Media Warning System". The most likely cause of this is the current economic position most state governments are in ("budgets". There is also some pessimism by Law Enforcement in using social media for law enforcement purposes. Regardless of "budgets' or pessimism I am going to champion this cause and feel that in the not too distant future social media will be an established early warning system for hazardous incidents, crime, etc throughout the world. Mike Vallez
