When the Binghamton Police Department lost funding for “Crime Stoppers,” a TV program that allowed witnesses to report crimes anonymously, there was a need for a new way to let normal citizens give tips to the cops.
So the Binghamton Police Department went digital. Carl Smith, the not only savvy, but also super sweet, technical analyst at the department, has managed its social media presence since 2010, running the department’s both intriguing and helpful community page. The page first came to the attention of students when a post about a recent rise in meth labs went viral in the area.
After the TV show cancellation, Smith had the idea to create a Facebook for the department by seeing other police departments do just that. “Crime Stoppers” broadcasted information about crimes — like camera footage of alleged robberies — and asked normal citizens to call in with any information they had. The police department’s Facebook page works similarly. Smith puts up camera stills of suspects from crimes — like a photo of someone caught on a security camera, or a video caught by an ATM — and asks for people to come forward if they have any information.
Though some people inside the department were initially hesitant about the Facebook page, it’s since blown up in ways that no one could have predicted. The page’s followers see these pictures and videos and contact the department to tell them what they know. And if they don’t know anything, commenting on the post can be helpful because their friends who might know about the case could see it on their newsfeeds.
Regardless of any opposition, this method seems to be working. Eight to 10 cases get closed every week thanks to Facebook alone.
“People like turning in criminals,” Smith said.
With the help of normal citizens, the police can go after larcenies that would otherwise seem petty compared to more important cases at hand. In a case of a stolen bottle of liquor, for instance, someone will report that they know the person depicted in the security snapshot posted online.
Surprisingly, in the majority of cases, criminals are turned in by their own family members.
“People will call and say ‘That’s my son,’ or ‘That’s my daughter,’” Smith said. Tough love, I guess.
Despite the page’s success, Smith spends some time deleting negative content from the page.
“Some people really hate what we do here,” Smith said.
He said that sometimes, people are offended by or cynical toward the police department’s online presence. Those people often complain that whichever crime posted online doesn’t really matter, curse the existence of the police in general or sometimes even argue that the pictures posted are inaccurate.
“’I didn’t see them take that bottle,’” Smith said, quoting a post that made him laugh. He doesn’t delete everything that’s unsupportive; he just takes down anything that’s profane or threatening. And he always makes sure to leave the ones that are “entertaining because they’re just so stupid.”
The Facebook page doesn’t only post pictures and crime reports. It also updates citizens when a crime has been solved, and posts tips about how to remain safe in the Binghamton area (such as the aforementioned meth lab post).
The page has been widely successful in turning our college town into not only a fun place to party, but also a safe place to live. Hopefully, officers will soon begin taking selfies with their arrestees to spice up the page.