1. California Law Enforcement and Social Media
Presentation to AAMVA
June 20-24, 2011

2. How Law Enforcement uses Social Media
More agencies catching on with Social media – and some are doing it with great success
Bullet 1:
From felons on Facebook to tips through Twitter, social media is being used more and more by law enforcement agencies, and not just to fight Internet-related crimes. We’re talking about solving crimes that are happening on the street and in your community.Dominant Main Stream Media no longer are resources for young people
Bullet 2:
Immediate access is now the society norm
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the most popular mediums and all stations use them
Bullet 3:
Want access to everything now & they want to choose how they receive the information

3. Law Enforcement and Social Media
Police blotter blogs
Digital “wanted” posters
Anonymous “E-tipsters”
Social media “stake-outs”
Thwarting thugs online
Tracking/informing
with Twitter
1. Blotter blogs: A police blotter is the record of events at a police station. Traditionally, a desk sergeant kept a register of these events. Nowadays, Twitter feeds, blogs, YouTube, and Facebook Fan Pages are being used by captains and chiefs to put out the digital equivalent of the police blotter in real-time.
Publishing a register of crimes and arrests in an area has been an online activity for a while now, especially through local newspaper websites. But social media is allowing many police officers on the scene to report the publicly available details of a crime for themselves. Reporters are getting their facts directly from a stream of real time-data and blog posts coming from the department.
2. Wanted posters: modern-day law enforcement agencies are posting descriptions of criminals on today’s most trafficked spots — namely the social web.
With millions of users, extraordinary reach, and the lightning-fast exchange of text, photos, and video, platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are ideal for getting the word out about wanted persons with up-to-the-minute updates.
3. E-Tipsters: Tips from the community have been a time-honored way that citizens have worked with the public to fight crime.
Consulting companies are developing very sophisticated ways for the public and the police to interact online. The tip411 program developed by the CitizenObserver Corporation is marketed to law enforcement as a web-based notification toolset. Citizen participation has always been a big part of fighting crime, and the people at tip411 stress that social media “acts as a ‘force multiplier’ by empowering your community to get involved.”
4. Stake-outs: police search the real-time web to target particular keywords and phrases being passed around on social media. Use of social media monitoring has a strategic, tactical and operational application for law enforcement.
5. Thwarting thugs online: Myspace, Facebook and Twitter are popular with gang members, and police use this to their advantage. Law enforcement has been able to infiltrate street gangs by posing as fellow gang members online, making connections, and intercepting criminal communications as they happen. Information like photos, videos, and friend links help law enforcement understand the dynamics of gangs when investigating their activities.
6. Tracking info on Twitter: 3

4. Increased Information Flow
Arcadia Police Department keeps citizens informed with a “Weekly Tip” and “Weekly Activity Highlights” using Facebook
Bullet 1:
DMV has seen media interest in its programs and initiatives more than triple in the last 18 months alone
Bullet 2:
Expand on why…limited hours/availability…more than 25.9 million people with licenses/ID cards…
Bullet 3:
Let’s face it…we’re the DMV…everyone has a story about us, right? We even get free advertising (Play Clip On Next Slide)
The San Francisco PD recently warned drivers that certain streets would be closed for a funeral procession using Twitter

5. Two-way Communication
Using Facebook, the Redlands Police Department regularly fields and answers questions from local citizens about department activity.
Bullet 1:
DMV cross-breeds “tweets” in many cases by sending customers directly to our Facebook page; all of our social media activities are linked to increase message exposure
Bullet 2 & 3: Discuss followers/likes
All DMV news releases and announcements are automatically “tweeted” and posted onto Facebook for maximum visibility
Videos from the DMV’s YouTube channel are also posted on the CADMV Facebook page

6. Crime Fighting Tool
Palm Springs Police Department Detectives use Facebook to help nab suspected criminals.
In this still they use Facebook to ask for help in identifying a suspected thief. 6

7. QUESTIONS? Mike Marando Deputy Director/Public Affairs
California Department of Motor Vehicles 7