03.06.2012
Information sharing, LEIM, mobile computing, Sir Robert Peel, social media
Today’s generation of chidren and young adults are computer savvy. They don’t question how to use the internet or how to install/uninstall programs, they just do it, because they know how. They are constantly text messaging, checking Facebook and Twitter, and taking pictures and videos every day and posting them onto social media sites…and the police forces around the country are following suit.
Through use of mobile technologies like smart phones, paper in law enforcement interactions is disappearing. No more filling out lengthy forms. Instead information is loaded from a mobile device directly into a database to be saved and shared and used when needed. Most young people today who join police departments, are technology savvy and actually expect new technologies to be in place.
Use of social media is another innovative way Police are using modern technology. Through social media, police are engaging their communities in information sharing and use the information to develop more effective predictive policing strategies by becoming more aware of criminal activity and hot spots around town.
When I returned to Dublin (Ireland not Ohio) after the LEIM conference, I was delighted to find a story in Ireland’s Daily Mail on Monday 28th May. It was titled – Facebook’s Crime Fight, and it explained how communities, particularly in rural areas of Ireland, are combating the closure of Garda (police) stations by turning to Facebook to help fight crime.
Residents are using the site to monitor suspicious activity while text alerts are also sent out to warn locals about any possible criminal behavior. One particular group in County Meath, launched their Facebook site last year and have said that they feel safer in their homes, and it is helping to solve crimes.
The community and the local Gardai (police service), work together. The Gardai contact the webpage’s administrators about suspicious behavior, and then a warning is posted onto Facebook, to notify the community residents. The text alerts are proving to be very successful to notify Gardai of potential criminal activity and to warn members of the community if there is someone suspicious in the area. Everyone in the area now feels safer, and the community has become vigilant in helping to protect their homes.
Expanded use of social media started because of the cut-backs in the Policing sector—as many as 39 Garda stations will be closed across Ireland by the end of June 2012, and more than 40 stations to be closed in the next round.
Facebook has proven to be successful tool to help communities and police communicate and work together to fight crime by gathering information and sharing it. If using social media helps to make people feel safer and gives them more control over crime in their communities, then this is sure to become the future of fighting crime.
It no longer makes sense to sit back and watch crime happening, or expect that the police alone will take care of crime in our communities—as Sir Robert Peel, is often quoted “the police are the community and the community are the police” – social media gives citizens a powerful tool to work together to prevent crime in their neighborhoods. This will also help to strengthen the relationship between police and the public, and that can only be a good thing.
For more information on on how Social Media is used in Public Safety, check out the International Association of Chiefs of Police website below, and under Topics of Interest, click on Social Media, and it will take you to all the information you need about Social Media used in Law Enforcement, including blog posts, news items of interest from around the country, and a new survey showing the results of the current state of practice of Social Media within the Law Enforcement Community.
http://www.iacpsocialmedia.org/
More posts from LEIM coming soon…r/Mary
02.06.2012
law enforcement, Law enforcement information sharing, LEIM, public safety, Uncategorized, video
Hi everyone,
My Name is Mary Wood and I recently joined NOWHERETOHIDE.ORG as a Research Analyst. I am from Dublin, Ireland, and new to Public Safety, so be gentle with me! These first few blog postings will tell the story of my experience at the 2012 Law Enforcement Information Management (LEIM) conference that I attended from 19-23 May 2012.
Since this was my first time attending LEIM, I didn’t really know quite what to expect. What I experienced was a whirlwind three days of educational sessions and networking opportunities – I really enjoyed everything about this conference and learned so very much!
I was also in awe of being in the presence of the brave men and women who put their lives in danger every day just to keep the rest of us safe – that in itself was daunting. But as I walked around, amongst Officers, Chiefs of Police, federal agents, and even a British Lord!, I was stuck by the camaraderie and incredible respect they had for each other. I really love Americans, and have always found them to be extremely polite and well mannered, and these three days showed just that, and also an enthusiasm for learning, meeting new people, and sharing of their experiences with dealing with information management in the public safety arena.
I found myself learning something new with each presentation/workshop that I attended. I was very impressed by the high standard of presenting styles and the way most people I encountered delivered their information in a very understandable (essential for a first timer!) and enjoyable way.
I learned quite a bit – using CCTV effectively, getting essential data into systems so Police Departments in other states can access it, predictive Policing, Social Media and how law enforcement agencies use the social media sites to gain information, the latest License Plate readers, what happens when a Police Officer wears a camera, and many more interesting ways that technology is used everyday.
Yes, law enforcement information management has come a long way from the pencil and notebook. Today the paper and pencil has been replaced by an iPhone or Blackberry to access/enter information, to take video and pictures, and to share information. I have learned that it is all about getting information and sharing that information to get the bad guys of the streets.
For any first timers to the LEIM conference next year, I would highly recommend that you arrive early enough to attend the First Time Conference Attendee Orientation and ABC’s of IT for Law Enforcement. This session will help answer any questions first timers may have about the conference. The LEIM Board of Officers together the LEIM Chairperson put on a very informative and straightforward presentation. They will also answer any questions put to them.
Ed Posey, the 2011-2012 Chairman, spoke about his work as a Captain in Gainesville Police Department. He spoke about the Law Enforcement Information Exchange (LInX) Lynx project and answered general IT questions put to him. Lance Valour talked about the way the Police Service works in Canada, and the differences between America and Canada (I loved his Canadian accent!), and Lance should know with 33 years in Ottawa Police Force behind him. They also explained how 9/11/01 changed everything in terms of security and getting essential information and sharing it, so everybody can work together and understand the situation they are dealing with. N-DEx was one of the information sharing systems that was created after 9/11/01. It is designed to share federal, state and local law enforcement information. The types of data being exchanged varies from police case files, arrest reports, warrants, Canadian and Interpol databases, and corrections data.
On the first day there are also other preconference workshops presented, along with the first timers conference. They are each three hours long, but are a must to explain any questions you have or any guidance you need to get you through the three days.
I have grown up, watching cop shows that show us how it’s done. We think we know it all, but it’s a lot different when you are in the presence of the people who really know how it’s done. I came away from my three days with a lot of information and pages and pages of notes, and also had the pleasure of being in the company of people who really do make a difference by making our world safer.
Over the next few blog postings I will share some stories about specific things I learned about…stay tuned.
Thanks for reading…r/Mary