Digital dragnet
A local police chief gets smart about social media
Bridgeville police Chief Chad King made headlines Wednesday for a Facebook post in which he implored a fugitive, Latoya Rosiek, who is wanted in connection with a drug-related death, to turn herself in. While his plea was compelling — “Let’s end this foolishness,” he said in the post — the more interesting angle was the chief’s successful use of social media to make other arrests.
Up to this point, on the occasions when he has publicized fugitives on social media, he has captured every one.
Other law enforcement agencies also have had success tracking the wanted through cyberspace. In 2014, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois established Warrant Wednesday as a regular Facebook and Twitter feature because previous posting of fugitive information had generated so many tips and arrests. Some defendants had been nabbed within 30 minutes. Today, Sheriff Mike Downey said, his Warrant Wednesday capture rate is about 80 percent.
Talk about the long arm of the law.
Sheriff Downey said some of those issued warrants for missed court appearances have called his office asking to be spared the publicity of a Warrant Wednesday posting. The sheriff’s response: Turn yourself in or be in next Wednesday’s spotlight.
In February, the FBI rolled out its Wanted App that allows users to scroll through photos and information about hundreds of fugitives, deceased victims, missing persons and others the agency wants to track down for one reason or another. Users can sort the list alphabetically, chronologically, by case type or by FBI field office. “We need your help,” the bureau says in an online video promoting the initiative. “Tips provided by users of this app help solve cases.”
Many law enforcement agencies have backlogs of warrants, and social media campaigns can help them cast a wide net for fugitives who may have been on the lam for long periods. It’s more time-consuming to send deputies knocking on doors than to put information on Facebook and Twitter. Personalizing the post can up the ante, scaring the fugitive and attracting additional public attention. Chief King alternately appealed to Ms. Rosiek’s common sense and fear of apprehension in urging her to surrender, and his colorful narrative — he predicted her chest would begin to tighten and her heart pound from anxiety — helps to explain why the post went viral with tens of thousands of views and 900 shares.
The taunting can work the other way, too. After she appeared in a Warrant Wednesday post, one fugitive posted a photo of herself online and challenged Sheriff Downey to “come find me.” He did, after somebody gave away her whereabouts in Florida.
Of course, police should not conduct illegal surveillance on social media or cross other boundaries with this evolving technology. In 2007, an FBI agent crossed an ethical line by impersonating a journalist and creating a fake news story to track down a teenager who made bomb threats against a high school in the state of Washington.
However, when it comes to using the power of crowdsourcing to capture fugitives, more police agencies should follow the lead of Chief King and Sheriff Downey. If they’re not using social media, Sheriff Downey said, “they’re missing the boat when it comes to getting information.”