The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Learning about law enforcement careers
Participants in the first-ever “Future Law Enforcement Youth Academy,” learned from specialists.
NEW HAVEN >> The culprit behind an anonymous threat posted on social media can be identified in a matter of hours, according to staff operations analysts at the FBI.
In a seminar Wednesday morning, participants in the first-ever “Future Law Enforcement Youth Academy,” learned from specialists how the Federal Bureau of Investigation can track criminals, and prevent or even solve crimes.
“We really get to be involved in the way the case evolves,” said Chris Earley, a staff operations specialist for the FBI in New Haven.
This career path, he added, is becoming more popular for those who want to be in law enforcement and aid in solving crimes, but don’t want to carry a gun.
“I think one of the best things about this job is that it’s something different every day,” Earley said. “It keeps you on your toes, which is fun.”
This seminar was just one of many classes students took part in throughout the weeklong program designed to give them a look inside different aspects of law enforcement.
Throughout the Tuesday morning session, campers learned about what intel analysis looks like at the FBI, but more specifically, they were exposed to what the bureau’s Social Media Exploitation Team does.
Social media analysis started to become a regular part of case investigations a number of years ago, as agents began to realize how much it was being utilized by the general public, but criminals, in particular, to aid in their activity. From gang members to terrorists to sexual predators to spies, everyone is on social media, Earley said.
While social media posts and information may not actually contain content that warrants an arrest, social media and online profiles can help confirm suspects’ identities.
“Our main goal is to put bad guys in jail and social media helps us do that,” Earley said.
Even the seemingly anonymous applications can be used to track down suspects, he added.
The campers also offered information to the analysts about applications they had not heard of before, such as After School App, an application designed for students to post information that is shared with those who are also at their school.
Some said the application sometimes is used to facilitate drug deals among peers.
“Every application is intended for good, fun things, but every criminal out there will exploit them,” said Sean Connolly, the other staff operations specialist who spoke Wednesday.
Toward the end of the presentation, Connolly encouraged the students to be thoughtful about their own social media usage to protect themselves, their home addresses, and sensitive identifying information.
“You never know who might be looking at you,” he said.
More than 160 high school students between the ages of 15 and 18 applied to participate in the camp, and in the end, 26 were selected, representing seven counties in the state. The students will graduate from the program Friday.